


Bump in the Night

by inkheart9459, Valnixyrie



Category: Pitch Perfect (Movies)
Genre: F/F, next door neighbors au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-29
Updated: 2015-08-12
Packaged: 2018-04-11 21:53:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 23,915
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4453781
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/inkheart9459/pseuds/inkheart9459, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Valnixyrie/pseuds/Valnixyrie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Beca's only been in her apartment for a week, but she swears it's haunted. Things keep dropping to the floor in the middle of the night for no reason and it's freaking her out, so much so that in the middle of the night she runs out into the hallway and locks herself out. The super won't be in until morning, but maybe one of her neighbors will take her in for the night. She hopes.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Beca jolted up in bed and looked out at the empty room. Something had just crashed to the floor. Again. For the third night in a fucking row. But she had actually made sure that everything was in a secure place this time before going to bed. Because of course there had been a rational explanation to things falling off if they were near the edge. And that’s what she had convinced herself it was, because she was an adult and didn’t believe in ghosts. Except now there was literally no other explanation.

She swallowed hard. Did she go check it out or did she stay right here under the covers where it was safe? But if she got up it might eat her. If she stayed in bed, it would definitely come for her. There was really no winning in this situat- CRASH.

Beca was up and out of the bed within the second. She shuffled through the apartment in her sock feet and pj shorts, leaping over the coffee table as she went. She managed to reach the front door in record time. Beca scampered out the door and slammed it behind her, yelping at the offending noise it made as it shut. Well, that was one way to make friends with new neighbors. Or not, either way, it was loud as fuck.

She looked around. Shit. Now it was the middle of the night. She’d succeeded in locking herself out. But then again, hopefully that meant the damn ghost was locked in. But she was still in her fucking pjs with no way to get to her stuff until morning when the super would actually let her in and not be a bitch about it. Great.

Beca turned around and kicked the door. Stupid fucking ghost. Stupid fucking Beca for getting scared of a ghost. It was a ghost. What the fuck was it going to do to her? It wasn’t even corporeal. Then again, it might want to possess her or something. And if could throw things around. Maybe she just shouldn’t poke the bull on that one. Or maybe she should call an exorcist. Yeah, that was a good idea.

But that would have to wait until fucking morning because she was still locked the fuck out. She glanced around at the doors of her neighbors. There was Mrs.Garvison do the left. She was sweet, but she was also like a hundred years old and her apartment smelled like prunes and socks. There was that really cute lesbian couple to the right. She had met the taller of the two, they had actually gone out for drinks a couple of times. Her name was Stacie. Beca remembered her saying something about her partner being a musician, Aren or Erin or something like that, she thought the name was. But every time Beca saw them they were basically stuck together at the mouth so she probably didn’t want to interrupt that bedroom. There was also the slightly scary but hella hot woman across the hall.

Beca didn’t know much about her except that she worked long hours and sometimes yelled at her phone in some European language. It definitely wasn’t French that was too soft and whatever she was speaking was harsher. German, maybe? Or maybe Russian? Sometimes she had a couple of people over, Beca passed them a few times on her way out of the building. It always seemed to be the same people: a freakishly tall, dark haired guy with a super distracting jawline, a slender faced man with sandy blonde hair, and, oddly enough, her other neighbor, Stacie’s girlfriend. They always looked so intimidating in their dark clothes and strict scowls, Beca never really had the want (or the balls, for that matter) to speak with them. Or look them in the eye.

So those were her options, smelly old lady, lesbian couple she’d probably interrupt having sex, or scary hot lady who might just chew her face off in a foreign language if she woke her up in the middle of the night. Not exactly a good choice among the bunch, but if she had to choose…

Beca walked up to the hot lady’s door and raised her hand to knock. Oh she hoped that this wasn’t going to backfire and get her ever more killed than staying in her apartment would have. Well, at least she wouldn’t be possessed. Unless the hot woman was a witch or something. Did people like that even exist anymore? If they did she would totally be the one to find them.

Ugh, fuck this. She knocked hard and loud and stepped back, waiting. She held her breath just a little bit, and contemplated bolting, but that would probably be a bad idea. The woman would probably storm into the stairwells and come after anyone who did the whole ring and run thing. Or knock and run in this case. Whatever.

“Du hast besser einen guten Grund mich um drei Uhr morgens aufzuwecken,” a tired voice said through the door. 

Beca swallowed. Whatever had just been said didn’t sound happy. Oh god. She should have just went with Mrs. Garvison and dealt with the smell of prunes.

The door opened to reveal the woman, looking a lot less intimidating than normal, dressed in an over long t-shirt and boxers with her hair falling like a golden halo around her face. Beca stared for half a second too long. Holy shit. Too hot, the woman was melting her brain looking like that.

“Was ist es?” 

Beca could piece together enough to understand the woman was asking her what she was doing there. “Um, I uh, I live across the hall, and I think my apartment is haunted because stuff keeps crashing to the floor in the middle of the night, so when it happened tonight I sort of rushed out of my apartment because I was scared and now I’m locked out and the super won’t be around until morning and could I maybe crash on your couch until then?” She said it all at once in a rush and took a deep breath at the end. Well, there, it was all out. Now it was just up to the woman if she was going to have mercy on her. The worst she could do was say no. At least that’s what Beca told herself over and over.

The woman blinked slowly, looking at Beca with a mix of anger, amusement, and disbelief. “You think your apartment is haunted?” She asked, voice still rough with sleep.

“Uh, yeah?” Beca felt herself shrinking down even smaller than normal.

“What, tiny little mouse girl, are you afraid of everything that goes bump in the night? Afraid of a building settling?”

“It’s not just a building settling! Stuff in my apartment really is crashing to the ground. And I told myself it was just things falling off because they were too close to the edge, but last night before I went to sleep I pushed everything back so it wouldn’t fall down but just now there were two crashes in a row and what else could it be but a ghost?” Beca looked away, cheeks coloring. Stupid woman. She should have just slept in the hall.

“And it couldn’t have been vibrations at all?” The woman cocked an eyebrow.

“Unless you’ve felt some tremors lately, I don’t think anything would have been that strong.”

“Whatever you say, tiny mouse.”

Beca rolled her eyes. “Look, can I crash on your couch or not?”

The woman sighed heavily and yawned. “I suppose. Come on.” She turned haphazardly and walked back into the apartment, Beca hot on her heels. Not that she was afraid to be left alone in the totally-not-haunted hallway or anything. No, not it at all.

Beca looked around the darkened space, dodging out of the way of furniture at the last second that the woman was avoiding without having to think about it. From what she would tell in the dark the space was clean, almost severely so, it didn’t really look entirely lived in. It sort of clashed with what she expected since the woman had friends over all the time, but then again, since she was working all the time, maybe not? The woman was just sort of a mystery.

“Stay here, I will get you a blanket and a pillow.”

“You don’t have to go to all this trouble, I- I’ll be okay just with the couch, you letting me stay here is more than enough and wow, your entire house smells like cinnamon, is that normal?” Beca clamped her mouth shut. What the fuck?

The woman laughed tiredly as she continued to walk away. She returned a moment later with an oversized fluffy green blanket and a black pillow. Her eyes were tired as she handed them to Beca who took them nervously.

“Thanks…” Beca muttered. Why had she suddenly been crowned Queen of Awkward?

“No problem. Sleep well, little mouse. Hopefully you left your ghost in your own apartment. Get some sleep.” The woman scratched the back of her neck gently and turned back down the hall.

Beca turned quickly and called after her, “Wait!” The woman stopped. “What’s your name?” she asked quieter, this time.

The blonde half turned back to face her temporary house guest. “Mina,” she said softly.

“Mina,” Beca repeated. “Almost as pretty as you.” She clapped a hand over her mouth. Had she actually just said that!? Holy fucking shit.

The woman laughed lightly. “Thank you, liebling. What’s yours?”

“Ah- er, Beca. My names Beca,” the brunette mumbled, still half in shock at what she’d said to this virtual stranger.

“Beca,” Mina said back. “It suits you. Good night, Beca. I’ll be down the hall if you need anything. Please try not to need anything, I am quite honestly exhausted.”

“Uh, right. I’m sorry for waking you up.”

Mina waved it off. “It is done now and I will live.” Beca thought she heard another mumbled comment along the lines of “I always do,” but she couldn’t really be sure.

Beca watched her walk away and frowned. She sort of wanted to do something to help, but what the fuck could she do? She was the fucking genius that locked herself out because she thought there was a ghost. Which there still probably was. But whatever, that wasn’t the point right now.

She sighed and settled down on the couch. It was literally the most comfortable couch she’d ever fucking been on. Beca moaned quietly and settled down into the cushions some more. It felt like it was made out of angel feathers. Hell, her bed wasn’t this comfortable. She wondered how much this thing fucking cost.

But then her eyes were closed and the apartment was blessedly silent around her with no crashing noises to be heard. She fell asleep quickly even in the strange space.

 

Mina blinked her eyes open for the second time that night and groaned. “Was ist das?” 

There were sounds coming from the living room. Not loud sounds, but they were consistent, enough to wake her obviously. She groaned and sat up, looking at the clock. Five in the morning. She’s only been asleep for another two hours. And here she promised herself the night before that she was going to catch up on sleep tonight. So much for that.

She sat up. Well, whatever was making that noise, or probably whoever was making that noise, she was going to have to go out there and put an end to it before she could get anymore sleep. She scrubbed her hands over her face. What in the world was that little mouse even doing out there?

She stood up and made her way in the dark towards the living room. Mina looked around, trying to see what the woman was doing, but she wasn’t up shuffling around or anything. In fact there was still a rather large lump on the couch, moving around fitfully, that was making all the sound.

“N-no, don’t,” Mina heard Beca say. The rest of the sentence was lost to incoherent mumbles that she couldn’t make out for the life of her.

Mina scowled. Was the tiny mouse having a bad dream? Was that what all this noise was? She walked closer and the girl did have her eyes shut.

A sob ripped itself from the girl. Mina was on her knees in front of Beca in a second.

“Beca, Beca, it’s just a dream. You can wake up now and all will be fine,” Mina said, voice loud and firm.

But Beca didn’t stir. She kept squirming around, still in the death grip of the dream. How in the world she hadn’t fallen off the couch with all the moving Mina wasn’t exactly sure.  Mina wondered what in the world she could be dreaming about that held onto her that hard. She reached forward and placed her hands on Beca’s shoulders gently.

“Beca, wake up.” She shook her gently. And yet still nothing. Beca seemed to have calmed just a little at her touch, but nothing more. She was still mumbling, still squirming around, if less pronounced.

Mina shook her harder, raising her voice. “Beca! It’s a dream!”

“Not that! Just don’t take the…” Beca trailed off, obviously to Mina’s attempts to wake her.

Mina bit her lip. She had shaken, she had yelled. Ok. Next step was to turn on the lights and try everything again. She walked to the living room wall and flipped on the lights, squinted at the sudden shock to her eyes. They adjusted quickly and Mina walked over to Beca again.

“Tiny mouse, tiny mouse, can you hear me? It’s a dream. You are fine. You’re on my couch in my apartment, not wherever you are in that dream. You are safe.” Mina shook Beca the entire time she was speaking, still in a loud tone that bordered on shouting but didn’t quite make it.

“Leave her alone!” Beca said, thrashing harder.

Mina latched onto the woman to keep her from injuring herself. And finally at the increased bodily contact did the other woman still. Mina pulled back just a little bit to see if it was just a fluke, but Beca started right back up again, dreaming, mumbling, moving around.

She had one last recourse. Mina pulled the blanket off of Beca. The chilled air coming in contact with Beca’s sleep warm skin made her shiver, but still, she wasn’t waking up. Mina had to wonder if this was some sort of night terror, because it couldn’t be just a regular nightmare at this point. Maybe a form of sleepwalking without the actual moving around? She didn’t know. But in the movies cold water always seemed to wake anyone up. Nothing else seemed to be working, she would have to try it.

Mina slipped into the kitchen, grabbed a glass and waited for the water from the faucet to run as cold as it could before filling it. She walked back into the living room. She was going to feel awful about this when Beca woke up, but at least she would have a good reason. Asking for a silent apology, she upended the glass over Beca’s chest and held her breath.

“NO! Not the water. I-I’ll be good.”

Mina sighed heavily. All she had succeeded in doing was making the dream worse and leaving Beca soaking wet to sleep.

She sat down on the floor in front of Beca, avoiding the water. She really should go get something to clean that up, but she was tired. Mina knew she wasn’t going to get any sleep with Beca carrying on like this. And she was just so very tired. Tears pricked at her eyes. All she wanted was to sleep. But then again, that’s all Beca wanted too, probably, uninterrupted, quality sleep.

An idea came to her. Beca had stilled when Mina had been pressed up against her. Maybe if she just cuddled the woman she would stop dreaming and go back to sleep. Mina sucked on her bottom lip for a second. The couch was big enough for the two of them, but now it was wet from the water, and Mina really liked her bed more.

She sighed and got up, going back to the kitchen and grabbing some paper towels. Mina cleaned up the water on the couch and floor and only hesitated for a second before she dabbed at Beca’s sleep shirt. She would be more comfortable if she was drier. It was fine. She only blushed the tiniest bit.

The real blushing came next. Mina set the paper towels aside and leaned down. She scooped up the tiny woman and hefted her so she was securely in her grip. Mina walked down the hall on careful feet, making sure none of Beca’s body parts hit anything. She turned off the lights carefully and then they were back in her bedroom.

She laid Beca on the unused side of the bed, moving the covers out from under the light woman before laying them over her. Mina walked around to her own side and slid in. She hoped that in the morning Beca would not completely hate her for this, but she needed sleep more than anything right now. Her hand hovered over the woman for just a second before Mina lowered it and drew Beca back against her.

The effect was immediate again. Beca stopped talking, stopped moving, her breathing evened out again, she actually seemed to be asleep now. Mina sighed and closed her eyes. Now she could get some sleep. At least two more blessed hours. Oh, it sounded so nice.

“Goodnight, tiny mouse,” she mumbled before she drifted off.

 

Beca woke up the next morning to an alarm going off. She moaned. It wasn’t time to get up yet, was it?  She groaned and rolled over to slap at the alarm, but instead of coming in contact with hard plastic her hand hit something that was soft and felt kinda like skin. What the literal fuck?

She sat up quickly and looked to the side. Beca had to blink a few times to actually get a handle on things. Her German neighbor was in bed beside her. She squinted. Right, her name was Mina. She’d found that out last night when she’d fucking locked herself out of her apartment like a fucking dumbass. But she had totally fallen asleep on the couch last night. The really comfortable couch. Why in the world was she in what had to be Mina’s bed? Mina’s really comfortable bed.

Mina beside her, wasn’t actually waking up even though the alarm was still screaming. Beca hesitated. What exactly was she supposed to do in this instance? It wasn’t like she woke up in an almost stranger’s bed every day or anything. Or really ever. Especially if she started out on the couch.

She groaned. Oh god what if she had sleep walked in here and just crawled right the fuck in bed? How in the world was she going to explain that? She probably would die of embarassment first. In fact if she could get on that right now it would probably be a good idea.

But of course no one reached out with a hand to smite her or anything so she was pretty much stuck in an awkward situation with the alarm blaring in a person who was basically a stranger’s bed. Figures the gods wouldn’t smite her on command or anything. Selfish assholes.

Beca reached out and touched Mina’s shoulder. “Um, Mina, you’re alarm has been going off for a while. You should probably get up,” she said, but not very loud.

Mina just shrugged off Beca’s hand and rolled over. Okay then. “Mina!” she yelled.

That had Mina bolting upright, looking around the room like she expected something to be on fire. Her eyes landed on Beca and Beca could swear Mina was blushing just a bit.

“Oh, uh, good morning tiny mouse,” she said after a few seconds pause. “Glad to see you can actually wake up.”

Beca tilted her head to the side. “What do you mean?”

Mina suddenly looked guilty. “You were having a nightmare last night, but when I went to try to wake you up, you stayed asleep no matter what I did. I tried yelling and shaking, taking your blankets, turning on the lights.” Her blush deepened. “I may have even tried to pour water over you, but you stayed asleep.”

“Um, yeah, sorry that happens sometimes. I sleepwalk and the only thing that will pull me out of it is really intense pain or if I just wake up on my own. Sometimes it’s sort of sleepwalking without the walking part, but that’s like the closest thing that defines it since I won’t wake up.” Beca rubbed the back of her neck. “Sorry, I would have told you, but I figured it wouldn’t be an issue. It doesn’t happen often now that I’m older.”

“It’s okay. I was just worried. The only way you would quiet down was when I was touching you.”

Beca scrunched her face. “Huh, weird, usually that makes it worse, not better.”

Mina shrugged. “I don’t know, but it was the only thing that helped and the couch was a bit small for the two of us, so I brought you in here. I hope you don’t mind.”

Beca looked away and it was her turn to blush. “Yeah, no, it’s fine. I honestly thought I slept walked in here and was mortified. Glad to know that I wasn’t like a super creep or anything.” Because her ending up in a beautiful woman’s bed in the middle of the night, well that totally wasn’t out of the realm of possibility. Her subconscious had done weirder things while she was still asleep.

“No, you weren’t at fault.” Mina finally reached over and turned off her alarm, suddenly looking more tired than she had the night before. “The Super will probably be in now if you want to go ask to be let in to your apartment and assess the damage left by your ghost.”

A disturbingly large part of Beca wanted to stay in bed with this woman. But how could she justify that? ‘Oh, I locked myself out of my legs. Guess I have to stay here in your super comfy bed with your hella gorgeous ass all day.’ Yeah, she didn’t see that going over well.

“Right.” She started to push herself up and out of bed. “Thanks for letting me stay over last night. I don’t know what I would have done if you’d have said no.”

“Oh, I’m sure Aren would have taken you in if you would have knocked on her door. She is a tough one, but she does have a soft heart.”

Beca stood awkwardly off to the side of the bed, not really wanting to go just yet. “You guys are friends, right? I see people coming and going out of your apartment sometimes, the scary dude with the jawline that could cut glass and the other blonde dude, and Aren you said?”

“Yes, we are all friends from college and now work. We founded a record label together off of the success of one of our college exploits.”

Beca lit up. “A record company, really? I’m actually a music producer.”

Mina looked at her with much more interest. “Really? I would have never pegged you for the type. Not once have you complained about lack of inspiration the entire time you’ve been here nor have you missed a deadline.”

“Heh, I mean I have missed a deadline before, but only by a day or two.” She looked a little sheepish. “Got too caught up in wanting to get it just right. My boss liked it a lot so it wasn’t all bad. What record label do you run?”

Mina got out of bed and shuffled over to a briefcase. She popped it open and withdrew a small card. She walked over and handed it to Beca.

“Mina Stauss, CEO of Das Sound Machine Records,” the card read with a phone number listed at the bottom. Holy shit, CEO, no wonder she worked crazy fucking hours. And she’d heard of DSM records. They were up and coming still, but they’d managed to land some crazy good people and she didn’t think they’d be up and coming for much longer. They were going to make themselves an industry standard.

Beca glanced up at Mina. And it was because of the woman in front of her. Well, mostly anyway.

“Wow, I’ve heard of you guys. Wait, were you guys also DSM the a capella group?”

“You heard of us?” Mina cocked a curious eyebrow.

“Uh, yeah, I was sort of a member of an a capella group too back in college. My group thought about competing in the World competition but we didn’t end up following through.” She shrugged. “We looked up all of the competition. You guys were good. Better than good actually.”

Mina smiled. Oh, that smile. “Danke. We took the success of winning worlds consecutively and we turned it into this.” She gestured at the card. “It was an interesting road, but we’re doing well.” She looked back at the clock. “And speaking of work, I must get ready. I didn’t have to be in early today, thank god, but I’ll still be pushing it.”

Beca jumped just a bit. Right, work, real world things that weren’t gorgeous women standing right in front of her. Right.

“Yeah, sorry, I’ll get out of your hair. Thanks again.”

“Bitte, little mouse. I’ll show you out.”

Mina walked her to the door. “I’ll see you around,” she said. “Try not to get locked out by a ghost anymore, ja?”

“Heh, I’ll try? See you.”

Mina smiled one last time before shutting the door. Beca looked at it for a long time, wondering what in the hell had just happened to her before she managed to shift her ass and make her way down to the super’s office.

 

A week later Beca unlocked her apartment door and stepped through. She tossed the keys in the bowl, plopped most of her stuff by the door and wedged something in the doorway. She was going to kill whoever thought it was a good idea to send her home with so much mixing equipment to test out for the company. It was a bitch to carry and she really had no idea how any of this was better than what they already had. She’d looked up the specs and they would be better to wait a generation or two more before investing more money in equipment. Fucking grunt work.

She brought the second to last load in and went out for the last load when she heard a decisive click behind her. No way. Not twice in like a week. No fucking way. Even she didn’t have that bad of luck. But then she turned around and there her door was, locked tight. Son of a bitch she could kill something.

Beca stared at the mixing equipment like she was going to kill it. In fact, that seemed like a great idea, really. She slumped down and sat on the hallway floor. It was after hours. The Super wouldn’t be in. Hell, it was almost eight at night. Most sane people were home already.

“Tiny mouse?” A familiar voice asked.

Beca’s head shot up. Great, of course Mina would find her in the hall of all people. Then again, she was probably the only other human who actually worked this late.

“Uh, hi,” she said, waving lamely. “How are you?”

A look of pure exhaustion crossed her face but it passed in an instant. “I’m good. We signed another artist today, a well known one in the alternative world. He fits in well with the line up we have now, but he broadens our scope just a bit. Everyone is happy.” She smiled and it was genuine, but Beca couldn’t get the tired look she had just seen out of her mind.

“That’s great.” She gestured to the mixing equipment beside her. “I got elected to be the lucky one to try all this out.” She rolled her eyes. “Give it to the small woman to carry, makes total sense right?”

Mina bent down to look at it. “Oh, the 380PLZ, I looked at the specs and wasn’t impressed. Their last two generations are almost the same and for a much lower price.”

“Right?” She scrubbed her hands through her hair. “I tried to tell them that but no I had to try it out just to make sure.”

“Your instincts are right.” She stood up again. “But why are you sitting out in the hall with it?”

Beca thumped her head against the wall behind her. “Uh, this was the second load I had to leave out in the hallway. I had something wedged in the door to keep it open, but when I came out the second time it slipped out and now I’m sort of locked out again. The sitting part was me just accepting defeat.”

“This happens to you an awful lot, mouse.”

Beca laughed humorlessly. “Yeah, it didn’t used to, but then I moved out here and I seemed to lose all sense of actually knowing how to be a functioning human being.”

“I understand that feeling entirely.” She walked to her own door. “Come on, you can stay on my couch again tonight since the super is gone for the night.”

She shot up and grabbed the rest of the mixing stuff from the floor. “You’re a literal goddess, you know that right?”

Mina laughed. “Well, that is a new one, I will admit. Most things I am called are rather...unflattering.”

Beca walked into the apartment and the door closed behind her. “What do you mean? I can’t imagine anyone calling you anything other than stunningly gorgeous.” She felt the blood rush to her face. Right two compliments in less than a minute. She really needed to tone the fuck down.

“If it tells you anything, one of my childhood nicknames was Kommissar, it means commander, and I got it for a reason. Actually, in DSM it was my stage name because it suited the persona I was going for. I am… not exactly a warm and fluffy person. I am driven and I know what I want and will do anything to get it. Most people do not like that, at least not from a woman, and so the less than complimentary things aimed my way.”

“Well that’s just dumb.” Smart, Beca, smart, rousing commentary, she thought to herself. “You should be applauded that you’re willing to work so hard for what you and your label need.” That was a little better at least.

“So you would think.” She walked into the kitchen. “Set your stuff down on the coffee table if you wish,” she said over her shoulder.

Beca did exactly that and followed Mina into the kitchen. Mina turned to her, fridge open, a scowl on her face.

“Are you hungry? I don’t really have much, but I’m sure I could figure out something.”

“Uh, I mean, I was just going to order pizza. I’m sort of in the same situation food-wise.” She pulled out her wallet. “At least this time I got locked out with money. My treat since you’re lending me your couch again for the night.”

Mina looked relieved. “That sounds like a wonderful idea.”

“Great, you have any place in particular you like? I’m not super picky as long as they’ve got sausage and pineapple.”

Mina’s face shifted into a completely horrified expression. “Pineapple? On pizza?”

“Why does everyone I tell that to think that’s weird. Yes, pineapple. On pizza. Sometimes I even dip it in ranch if I’m feeling super adventurous.” Beca fought the urge to roll her eyes and cross her arms in front of her chest.

She turned away from Beca and rustled around in a drawer that looked like it contained mostly junk. She was glad to know that even perfect goddesses had junk drawers in their kitchen. It made her seem just the slightest bit more accessible.

“You’re on your own as far as seeing if they have pineapple. I want green pepper and mushrooms, please.”

“No meat?”

She shook her head. “Vegetarian.”

“Oh, okay cool. You okay with the whole me getting sausage thing?”

Mina waved it off. “I can pick it off if it somehow winds up on my piece. I will live.”

“Sweet.” She looked over the menu and sure enough pineapple was on there. She smiled and dialed the number. Beca hated, hated calling in orders on the phone, but whatever. She would do it for pizza.

When she got off the phone she looked over at Mina. “Thirty minutes, give or take.”

Mina nodded and walked over to the kitchen table and sank down. “Good, good.” She slumped forward until her arms were folded on the table top and her chin was resting on top of them. “Make yourself at home since for the night it is your home.”

Beca shuffled her feet and looked away from the other woman. “Yeah, sorry about that. Again. I really need to hide a spare key somewhere in the hallway or something. Under the ficus in the corner of the hall, maybe behind one of the vents, whatever as long as I actually had a way to get back in.”

“There’s already at least one key under that ficus. Stacie often forgets her keys and Aren put it there for her. It’s a horrible idea, really. A person can break in so easily, but I suppose whatever is best for you.”

Beca thought as long as Mina kept taking her in when she got locked out, she would be fine with not doing anything at all to stop herself from being shut out. But she shouldn’t like just foist herself on the other woman. That would be rude and she already looked so stressed and tired. She didn’t want to add to that.

“Just an idea. I’ll figure it out. I would say keep another set in my car, but my car keys are on the same ring as the apartment key so I’d be locked out of both anyway. It’s not like I’m tall enough to put it on top of the door frame or anything. You on the other hand, totally would be.”

Mina laughed at that. “Yes, I suppose I would be. But I haven’t had a problem with locking myself out yet, and I’ve lived here for a year and a half now.”

“Yeah, well.” Beca stuck out her tongue. “You only wish you had this much talent.”

“If the talent is locking myself out, then no, I do not want it.”

Beca feigned offense and Mina laughed. Goodness, how could one laugh make her melt that much?

“Fine, I’ll just keep all of it then. All this great skill.” Beca shook her head and made her way over to the table and sat down opposite of Mina. “Because you’re right, it’s sort of a terrible talent to have. But at least you’re awesome and let me crash here, so it isn’t all bad.”

“Well I’m glad to be your cloud’s silver lining.” She yawned widely and pushed herself up. “I hope you don’t mind, mouse, but I have some things left to do tonight. Feel free to watch TV in the living room. I will hopefully be done before the pizza gets here, but who knows.” She made an almost shrug like gesture with her hands. “Like I said, make yourself at home.”

“Thanks, I will.”

Mina walked out of the room and back further into the apartment, judging by the sound of her footsteps. Beca sat at the kitchen table for another minute longer before venturing out to the living room again. At least she would be closer to the door when the pizza got there. She wasn’t really in the mood for TV. Mostly she was in the mood to dick around on her computer, but since that was sitting in her hallway, she was a little bit out of luck. Instead, she settled for actually looking around Mina’s apartment in the light.

It was still sparse, but now it looked a little more lived in. Everything was modern feeling, black and white mostly, with a splash of deep blue here and there to liven the place up. There were a few knickknacks here and there that went well with the rest of the decor and a couple of books scattered around. Beca picked one of them up, but it was in German so all she really got out of it was part of the title read ‘the girl.’ Maybe she should brush up on her German if she was going to be around Mina more. And she definitely hoped she was going to be around Mina more.

She wandered back into the kitchen and snooped around quietly. The appliances were all stainless steel and the countertops granite, echoing the sleek modern look of the living room. There was bit of dust on the stove top. So Mina didn’t cook often, but then again with the hours she pulled, Beca wouldn’t want to cook either. The microwave was free of any dust, though. She wondered what the odds were that if she pulled open the freezer that there would be a mound of frozen meals. And for some reason that thought made her want to start coming over and making Mina an actual dinner once in a while. Hell, if she kept getting locked out she would.

The buzzer rang just as Beca was walking back into the living room. Pizza, yes, oh god she was starving. She buzzed the pizza guy up and paid for everything before walking back into the kitchen. She put the pizza down on the table before turning back and shuffling around for a minute. Did she go get Mina or did she let her come out on her own time?

Well, the worst Mina could do would be to tell her to eat without her so she might as well just go. She walked along the back hallway of the apartment. She knocked on the door that was the guest bedroom in her own apartment, figuring that that was probably where Mina would make an office. A second later Mina’s voice came through the door, telling her that her guess was right.

“Mouse?”

Beca opened the door and peeked her head in. “Hey, pizza’s here if you want it while it’s hot.”

Mina looked down at the computer on her desk, little apple glowing on the back of the screen, lighting up the rest of the desk that the desk lamp didn’t manage to hit. “Give me five minutes and I’ll be there. I have to finish up this email and then I believe I really am done for the night. There should be beer in the fridge if you want, otherwise I think there’s just water.”

“Beer and pizza are a match made in heaven. I’ll see you in a couple minutes then.” Beca slipped the door shut and then walked back to the kitchen. She grabbed plates from the cabinet she’d found them in while snooping and grabbed herself out two pieces of pizza. It felt a little rude to eat while her host wasn’t there, but she was starving. She munched on the first slice as she dug around in the fridge pulling out two beers and uncapping them with ease. College had taught her something after all.

She sat down again and took a pull on the beer, and holy fuck balls Batman, it was good. She looked at the label and it was in German. Figures.

Mina appeared a few minutes later, smiling at the uncapped beer on her side of the table. She grabbed it up and took a long drink from it. She set it down again and took a deep breath.

“Long day?”

Mina nodded. “Yes. I enjoy what we do, greatly, you understand, but sometimes I wish there was… more. I get so caught up in everything, though, that I often forget. We’re doing well enough now that I don’t need to pull these kinds of hours, but I am a perfectionist. And even as I realize it, I haven’t been able to do much about it.” She looked away, cheeks coloring. “But that wasn’t what you asked. I apologize.”

“No, dude, it’s completely fine.” In fact being confided in by Mina was just fucking great honestly. “I was like that before college, kept to myself a lot but wanted more while being a bitter little shit about it. I had a group of friends that pulled me completely out of that, kicking and screaming almost, but I love those nerds more than anything for it. They still tell me when I’m being too much work, in the shell whatever.” She shrugged.

Mina hummed, taking a bite of her pizza. She chewed and swallowed before she answered. “All of my friends work at our record company. We go out and have fun and all, but I am the CEO, they expect me to get things done and I don’t think they quite realize how much that takes.” She tilted her head. “They are still wonderful friends and if I told them that I would like more time they would take on a few other things so I could, but…”

“You don’t want to ask.”

She nodded. “Perhaps it’s the Kommissar in me, but yes, I don’t want to ask, at least not without a solid reason.”

“I get that. Maybe you’ll find a reason soon.” If that reason was her, well, she wouldn’t complain. But why the hell would it be her? She was just the dumbass neighbor who locked herself out every fucking week. Why would anyone take time off of work for her?

“I hope.”

They ate the rest of their pizza in silence, but it wasn’t awkward. It was the comfortable silence that only seemed to blossom between close friends, but they weren’t close friends. Though if they became close friends that wasn’t going to be a reality that Beca was against either.

“Would you like to shower tonight?” Mina asked her as they were putting the leftovers in the fridge and the dishes in the dishwasher. Beca’s head snapped up as thoughts of showering with the German goddess filled her consciousness. Wait, no, Beca, calm down. She didn’t mean it like that. The Bella forced herself to reign in her thirteen year old boy imagination and answer the question.

“Uh, yeah, if I could. Do you have an pjs I could borrow? Last time I came fully equipped, but this time I’m sort of not. Though anything you give me is going to be huge because you’re tall and have gorgeous legs for days.” Oh and the accidental compliments are back.

Mina laughed. “Yes, I do have somethings you can borrow, though, yes, I believe that they will be a bit big on your, especially the shirt. And thank you, my mother was very tall, I guess I got that from her. Would you like to shower now or later?”

Beca frowned. It was like ten almost and by the time she got out of the shower and got everything done it would be like at least ten thirty if not going towards eleven and she had to up at a god awful time again to get the super before she went into work.

“Now would be cool. I’ll try to make it super duper quick, though like, I make no explicit promises.” She pulled at the ends of her hair. “This takes literally forever to deal with.”

“Well your efforts show. Your hair looks wonderful.”

Holy shit, Mina had just complimented her. Was she sure that it was actually real?

“Come along, I’ll show you where everything is.”

Mina led Beca back into her room again and into the nicest bathroom that Beca had ever been in. How the fuck was this the mirror image of her apartment again?

“Jesus, this is really nice.” She looked around again in awe. “This has to be bigger than mine. How in the world is that possible?”

“The building moves outward just a little bit from your apartment and they used all the extra space for the bathroom. It turned out rather nice, don’t you think?”

“Uh, yeah, definitely.” She could probably fit like fifteen people into the walk in shower if she wanted to and the people were comfortable getting up close and personal with each other. And then there was a tub over in the corner too. Wow.

Mina pulled open a drawer. “There are extra toothbrushes in here, towels are under the sink, everything else you need should be in the shower and if you’ll wait one second I’ll have those pjs for you.”

Beca nodded and a second later Mina walked from the room only to return holding a worn black t-shirt with the beginnings of a white logo peeking out and a pair of plaid boxers. She took the pile of clothes with a smile. “Thanks.”

“You are welcome. Just yell if you need anything else.”

Oh there were a whole hell of a lot of things she needed from this woman, but most of them were totally inappropriate so she just kept her mouth shut.

“I will.”

Beca watched at Mina walked back out of the bathroom once more, shutting the door behind her. Oh god, how was she supposed to stand this exactly, being naked in the same space that Mina regularly was regularly naked in. Her brain was going to go straight to the gutter and would refuse to come out. She swallowed hard and started to unbutton her top. It was going to be a long night.

 

Mina blinked awake sometime in the middle of the night. Something wasn’t right. She rubbed her hands over her eyes, attempting to wake up a little more before she sat up. The tiny mouse was in her living room again. They both had showered and then talked for a few minutes before saying their goodnights. Had hearing Beca having another bad dream woken her again?

She listened hard but she didn’t hear enough sound for that to be the case. There was noise though, quiet, but still noise. She sat up just as her door opened. Mina focused, squinting a bit since she didn’t have her contacts in anymore. But it was just the tiny mouse, no one to worry about and so she relaxed once more.

“Beca? Did you need something?” Mina asked.

Beca didn’t respond, she just walked in slowly, eyes only half open, looking rather stoned, really. Something wasn’t right with her.

“Are you sleepwalking, mouse?” Mina asked. She knew she wouldn’t get an actual answer if the woman was but it was still worth a shot.

Beca mumbled quietly, something that Mina wasn’t sure was actual words. She kept walking until she hit the edge of Mina’s bed. Then, she peeled back the covers on the opposite side and crawled in easily, laying down and tugging the covers back up around her before promptly going straight to sleep once more.

Mina just sat there in her own bed stunned. The other woman had just sleepwalked her way into Mina’s bed. How many people in the world could ever say that a beautiful woman had done that? Not many, if anyone at all.

Except now she had no idea what to do. She had had no real choice when Beca had been having those nightmares but to calm her the only way she could, but now she could probably wake Beca up and tell her she had sleepwalked in and that would be that. Except… she didn’t want to do that, really. That was probably the better thing to do, and perhaps the more noble thing, but, no. It wasn’t what she was going to do this time.

Mina laid back down and sighed. She was tired, and if worse came to worse in the morning she could just pretend that she hadn’t woken up at all during the night when Beca had come in and Beca wouldn’t know any better that she had willingly let her stay here.

Her eyes slipped closed and she relaxed easily. It had been a great while since she had trusted another person to sleep in her bed, the last incident with Beca notwithstanding. It felt… nice to do so again. There was something about Beca that she couldn’t put her finger on, but it was good.

And so when Beca turned over and cuddled her way into Mina’s side, she didn’t fight against it. She just slipped quietly back to sleep until morning.

 

Beca woke up the next morning warm, so very warm, and surrounded by the scent of… cinnamon? She opened her eyes to find herself face to, well, boob with Mina’s chest. She froze for a long second. Um, this was definitely not where she had fallen asleep. What the literal fuck. Had she had another nightmare?

Mina shifted under her and Beca became very, very aware that her legs were wrapped up with Mina’s and one of her thighs was pressing against dangerous territory. The other woman made a sleepy noise that sounded too like a moan for Beca’s comfort. Oh god, how was she going to get out of this?

And then the alarm made sure she wasn’t going to get out of anything in one piece. Shit.

Mina stirred and shifted, turning off the alarm, but not yet opening her eyes. Beca was frozen, unsure of what the fuck to do because if she moved then Mina would notice her and the awkward situation they were in. But if she didn’t move, Mina would eventually notice her and the awkward situation they were in. It was a catch fucking 22. What exactly was one supposed to do in these situations again?

“Little mouse?” Mina asked, her voice thick. Oh, it was equal parts adorable and sexy and Beca wasn’t sure she could handle it. “Are you awake?”

“Um? Can I plead the fifth to that?”

“The fifth what?” Mina opened her eyes, a sleep clouded blue this early in the morning, and looked at Beca.

“Uh, the fifth amendment to the constitution. It basically says that you don’t have to incriminate yourself, but if you’re pleading the fifth then you’re kind of admitting to it anyway.” Just another catch-22 like the one she was in.

“Oh, I see. And how is being awake incriminating in this case?”

“Can I get back to you on that?”

“I suppose.” Mina patted Beca’s arm, indicating she wanted up. Beca pulled herself out of their tangled embrace as quickly as was polite. How was Mina being so calm about this? Was waking up to strange-ish women in her bed a casual thing for her? Probably, looking as good as she did, it wouldn’t be a surprise.

“Uh, sorry,” she said, blushing as red as Chloe’s hair in college. “Did I have another bad dream and wake you up?”

Mina shook her head, yawning and stretching, and Beca’s mouth went fucking bone dry. “Nein, I think you sleepwalked in here because when I went to sleep you obviously were not here but when I woke up in the middle of the night you were.”

“Oh, um, I’m sorry about that.” Beca began to fidget with the hem of her borrowed t-shirt. She read the letters again for the millionth time, still upside down, still faded white. DSM. Mina had given her one of her old DSM shirts. Of course she had.

“Don’t be, I honestly don’t mind the company. And you’re so small, you barely take up any space.” Mina smiled.

“I’m not that small!”

“Most women would take that as a compliment.” Mina laughed.

“Obviously you’ve never been short a day in your life or you would know differently. Short people are very, very bitter about their height.”

“And you’re one of those bitter people, mouse?”

“A little bit, yeah. I can’t reach tall shelves and I have to climb on counters like a five year old to get to anything.”

“Well, if I am around, I will reach the high shelves for you.” She reached out and tapped Beca on the nose before getting out of bed. Why that innocent little action gave the Bella butterflies, she would never understand. “I simultaneously want to go to work and do not want to go to work this morning. Lazing in bed sounds excellent.”

Lazing around in bed with Mina sounded like a fucking wonderful day, too bad that wasn’t actually going to be a thing. “Yeah, it does,” Beca said and was a tiny bit mortified that she sounded wistful. Hopefully Mina didn’t read anything into that other than her wanting some more sleep.

“Ah, but work.” Mina walked into her closet with an exasperated sigh. “You can use the bathroom to change into your clothes again. The hamper is right there for your pjs.”

“Okay, thanks.” Beca smiled at her as she disappeared behind clothing. She got out of bed, hating that she had to leave the smell of cinnamon and warmth, but knowing she had to. She walked into the bathroom and changed quickly, looking herself over in the mirror. Not bad for having locked herself out for the second time in a week and wearing yesterday’s clothes.

She stepped out of the room again and placed the pjs in the hamper. She turned around and looked into the closet. Oh shit, she had totally just seen a flash of skin, upper body skin. She blushed and turned away. She wasn’t some sort of creep that watched people change. Mina was nice to her, she couldn’t fucking ruin it by being a fourteen year old boy with impulse control issues.

Mina padded out of the closet a minute later, wearing her normal professional getup. God, today was a tight grey pencil skirt and matching blazer that both looked like a hot librarian would be wearing it, and like Mina was about to take over the damn world and make everyone her bitch. She totally wanted to be one of those bitches.

She shook herself. “Uh, yeah, thanks again for letting me stay. It really is nice of you to take pity on my dumb self.”

“No problem.” Mina walked towards her until she was just a few inches from Beca. She reached out and squeezed Beca’s shoulder. “Thank you for the pizza, even if you do put pineapple on it.”

“Still say you have to try it before you knock it.” She stuck out her tongue.

“Maybe, but probably not.”

Beca smiled and shuffled her feet a bit. “Well, I’ll get out of your hair. Hopefully I manage to make it more than a week without locking myself out.”

A sad look crossed Mina’s face for just fleeting second. “Yes, well, hopefully, but with your luck who knows.”

“You have a point there.” She laughed and knew she should leave, but she just didn’t want to yet. She stood there for a few awkward seconds. “I’ll see you in the hallway then, yeah?”

“Ja, you will.”

“Awesome. Have a good day at work.”

“And you as well.”

Beca smiled once more before walking down the hall of Mina’s apartment, grabbing the last of her stuff, and then making her way once more to the super’s office. Maybe her luck not holding out wouldn’t be a bad thing.

 

Beca tapped her fingers on her leg. It was one in the morning. She couldn’t sleep. All she could think of was Mina. It had been a week and a half. Only a week and a half, and yet she felt like she was a junkie going through withdrawal. What the hell was she even going to do? It wasn’t like she could just knock on Mina’s door at one AM and ask to fucking come in.

Or could she?

She shook herself. No, she couldn’t do that. That was just weird and stupid and honestly quite inconsiderate.

And she was totally considering it. What the fuck was wrong with her?

She got up from her bed and walked towards her bedroom door. She wasn’t doing this. She wasn’t doing this.

She walked out in the hallway. And then into the living room. And finally she was staring at the apartment door, socked feet shuffling on the carpet. She couldn’t do it. What would her excuse be? It wasn’t like she could run out again and claim there was a ghost. Ever since she’d like truly bolted everything down she hadn’t had a problem. Mina had been right. It had been vibrations, but from what she still wasn’t sure and it really didn’t matter as long as she could get some sleep.

But Mina didn’t know that she’d gotten rid of the ghost. Or not really gotten rid of it, but that was the point. She could go out and claim ghost. She would look like an idiot. A total idiot.

Her hand reached out for the door knob without her permission. She turned it slowly, willing herself to back out, trying to convince herself that this was a horrible idea, that Mina was already tired enough without Beca interrupting her sleep, that she had important things to do, that it would be better for the both of them if she could just get ahold of herself.

Then she was stepping out into the hallway and the door was closing behind her and it latched before her reflexes kicked in to make it stop. Wow, that was a loud slam. And she was truly locked out again, no matter what she thought. Fuck man, she was an idiot, a stupid, stupid, idiot. She shrieked a little internally. Well, now that she was here.

She tried to make herself look scared. Not that she really knew how to do that, but she had to try because she wasn’t exactly going to tell Mina ‘hey I walked out of my apartment like a jackass and locked myself out because I just wanted to see you.’ Yeah, no that would not go over well. She’d seem like some sort of fucking stalker. Which she wasn’t. It wasn’t like her walls were covered in pictures of Mina or anything. Yet, probably.

Mina was probably going to hate her. Beca wouldn’t blame her for it either. Ugh, she was so dumb she could just slap herself, maybe hit her head off the wall a few times for good measure. Because honestly Mina hating her was a terrifying thought. Before she had time to accomplish any of the above, Mina’s door was opening in front of her.

“Mouse? What are you doing? It’s one in the morning.” Mina looked as awake as Beca felt. Which was a far cry from the way the blonde usually looked, to tell the truth. No matter how perfect she always appeared, there was still always that underlying look of tiredness in her eyes.

“Uh, yeah, I mean I could ask you the same thing. What are you doing up? Isn’t it past time for pretty people to be asleep?” She flinched internally. Great, compliment the woman that was going to kill her in the next five minutes.

“I was working on something and lost track of time. Are you locked out again?”  Mina looked hopeful? Was that what Beca was reading on her face? No, it couldn’t be right. “You look spooked. Was it your ghost again?”

Thank the lord above, she had provided Beca with an out. “Uh, yeah it was and yeah, I sort of am?” She looked away bashfully.

“Come in then,” Mina said without missing a beat. She smiled brightly, opening the door wider so Beca could pass by.

“I think I should just leave a key with you as much as I get locked out and you always seem to be the one taking me in.”

“I truly do not mind.” She looked Beca over again as they both made their way into Mina’s apartment. “Would you like some hot chocolate to soothe your nerves? I don’t want you to have a nightmare again.”

“Oh, uh, sure, thanks.” Why in the world was she being so nice to her? She kept like crashing her party so to speak and Mina just went with it. More than went with it, she ran with it. Maybe she was just one of those super nice people.

They walked into the kitchen and Mina poured milk into a sauce pan. Beca was totally expecting just the Swiss Miss stuff you dumped in hot water, but Mina was going all out.

“Do you like whipped cream on your hot chocolate?” Mina turned around and smiled at Beca.

“Uh, yeah, that would be great.” She’d like whipped cream on Mina, but that was still not appropriate. Why exactly were all her thoughts around this woman not safe for work? Right, because she was basically a stalker pervert.

“Could you grab it out of the fridge for me?” She mixed in some chocolate shavings into the milk and stirred everything evenly.

“Sure.” Beca walked over and grabbed the can of Ready Whip and walked back to Mina.

“And mugs are in that cabinet over there.” Mina gestured with her chin towards the cabinet in the corner.

Beca was glad she had done that first because she still remembered where the mugs were from her impromptu snoop session last time she was here and she didn’t want to seem like a creep. Not that she wasn’t a creep at this point, but being one and actually being known as one were two different things.

She grabbed down two mugs and a second later Mina poured the hot chocolate into them. Beca uncapped the whipped cream and sprayed two healthy doses on top of each mug and Mina smiled again.

“Thank you very much. You really know how to put whipped cream on a drink.”

Beca laughed. “Yeah, lots of practice. I sort of live off of whipped cream sometimes.” She shrugged.

“Come, let’s sit. You have to be tired.”

No she was wide fucking awake, but that wasn’t something that Mina needed to know. They both sat down and sipped at their cocoa for a bit.

“So what were you working on?” Beca asked.

“Oh, I was just going over a contract for another new artist. They took the one we gave them and butchered it to something that doesn’t even approach something we could sign. I was seeing if there was anything salvageable, but when there wasn’t I sent an email to their manager and let them know what could work if it was rewritten and what was right out.” She shrugged. “Nothing so exciting as being chased out of my apartment by a ghost yet again,” Mina teased.

“Oh, hush, you would get scared too if you were in your apartment and things just suddenly dropped to the floor.”

“A pretty girl like you shouldn’t be scared.”

Beca felt herself blushing. “Stop, I am not.” God, she was nice and complimentary. How in the world would a woman like this ever be interested in her? Mina was too good for her.

“You are, like a… sunset, or something like that.” The German smiled a little awkwardly, hiding it quickly behind her hot chocolate.

Beca thought she was so cute that she had to take a sip of her drink in order to stop herself from ‘aw-ing’ out loud.  “If anyone around here is a sunset, it’s you. Everyone in the world just wants to look at you every day and enjoy the beauty.” She should just give up even trying to reign that in, jeez.

Mina blushed bright pink. She laughed and looked away. “Danke, little mouse. Your compliments always make me so happy. And you are clearly much better at them than I am.”

“Yeah, well, it’s easy when the person I’m complimenting looks the way you do.” Beca chuckled nervously. If Mina’s blush had been bright pink before, it was beet red now. Oh, the cuteness scale was breaking. And that blush was definitely something she could see herself getting used to.

Mina cleared her throat. “Thank you…” She looked away, clearly not knowing what to say next. “But you are the most beautiful person I’ve ever seen.”  

And now it was Beca’s turn to blush redder than a tomato. “I don’t think so. I mean, I’m not bad looking, don’t get me wrong, but most beautiful you’ve ever seen, I doubt it. I mean, you’re German, there have to be better looking tall, god like people there.”

“Agree to disagree?” Mina bit her lip and looked up at Beca.

“Fair enough.”

There was a sound of a key in the door. Beca’s head shot up and she looked over at Mina questioningly. “Someone else have a key to your place?”

“Pieter and Aren do.” Her eyes had narrowed and her posture had stiffened. The smiley, soft Mina from a minute ago was go and she was all business now. “Though unless they are dying I cannot imagine what they would need to use it for at this time of night.”

“Uh, well, I hope they aren’t dying.”

Mina got up from the table, leaving her half finished mug of cocoa on the table. Beca followed, bringing hers with her, because damn, Mina might not cook a lot, but it was wonderful chocolatey goodness and she wasn’t about to let it get cold.

The other woman stopped in the doorway and let out a slow breath. It reminded Beca of a bull letting out a snort before charging. Mina crossed her arms and looked out at the gloom of the living room.

One of the lesbians from down the hall, Aren, Beca guessed was loudly ‘tip toeing’ through the living room, obviously completely drunk, with a huge smile on her face, muffling giggles behind her hand. Mina reached out and flipped the light.

“Hello, Aren, what brings you here?”

Aren jumped about three feet in the air and fell right on her ass. “Oh, hey, Mina,” she said once she had recovered from her drunken tumble, obviously too far gone to feel much pain. “Um, what are you doing up?” She spotted Beca. “Hey! You’re our neighbor. You’re hot, do you know that?”

Mina stepped forward slowly. “You haven’t answered my question, Aren. What are you doing here in this… state?”

Beca felt like there was a snake about to strike. Mina’s movements had become silky, dangerous, and hell if she wasn’t turned on as fuck right now.

“I might have run out of alcohol and came to steal the rest of yours? But I was going to be quiet so I didn’t wake you up and I was totally going to pay you back with more booze later, you know. And did you know that you’re so pretty? I didn’t even know they made people as pretty as you.”

Beca felt a little spike of jealousy go through her. Oh no, Mina was hers.

Except she wasn’t, but like. She was. It didn’t have to make sense.

“Aren, how many times do I have to tell you that hitting on me will not gain you anything?” She bent down and took Aren’s chin in her fingers. “And I do not believe that Stacie would appreciate you hitting on me.”

“Oh no, she’s fine with it. You’re a nice piece of ass. We actually talk about you a lot. How hot you are and stuff. I think you might be on the list of people we’d consider a threesome with, but I’d have to check to make sure. I can’t remember right now.”

“Hmm, I wonder why?” She bent closer to Aren. “Ararinda, I’m giving you to the count of ten to get out of my apartment before you meet the Kommissar of old, do you understand? I gave you that key for emergencies and you used it for booze and interrupted me and my guest. I do not appreciate this.” She stepped back and let go of Aren’s face. “But I will forgive this transgression, if you leave. Right. Now.”

Aren swallowed hard and the next second she was scrambling out the door, babbling out apologies in the mix of English and German and what sounded like maybe Korean. A second later the door was closing behind her and Mina was walking over to it and locking it. After the deadbolt slid into place she relaxed visibly.

“Well, that was intense.” Beca brought the cup of cocoa up to her mouth and took a large swallow, but that didn’t really help soothe any of the roiling feelings inside of her.

Mina turned to her. “I’m so sorry about that. Sometimes Aren has trouble with boundaries. Especially when drunk. Also the giggles.”

Beca snorted and then suddenly she was laughing, deep body shaking laughs. “Oh my god,” she gasped out. “I can’t even tell you why that was funny, it just was.”

Mina smiled and then a laugh escaped her mouth, and she was laughing right along with Beca until they were both holding their sides and groaning about sore muscles. They made their way back into the kitchen with their now lukewarm drinks and finished the rest of them. Beca helped Mina wash out the mugs and sauce pan and then they both padded back into the living room.

“That was one of my more exciting nights,” Beca said flopping down on the couch. She yawned. Now that she was in Mina’s apartment with a warm drink in her stomach she was tired as fuck.

“I wish I could say the same.” Mina shook her head and yawned as well. “But now it is very late. We should sleep.”

Beca nodded. “Just give me a pillow and blanket and I will be out, dude.” She sprawled out on the couch and sighed.

Mina looked at her for a long moment. “Perhaps we could save time and just have you sleep in my bed instead of you walking around like a cat burglar in the middle of the night.”

Beca blinked, suddenly a little more awake. Um, starting out the night in Mina’s bed. Consciously? Uh, she probably would die of a heart attack or something.

“I mean, I probably won’t sleepwalk. I’m more used to your apartment now and everything. Maybe it was just the new environment that set me off.” Except if that was true she’d be sleep walking around her rather new apartment every second of the night, but that was beside the point right now.

“And if you do? You’ll just end up in my bed, or worse, you will end up hurt because you tripped over something. I do not want that to happen.” She bent down and cupped Beca’s face and it was a completely different kind of caress from the one she’d used on Aren a few minutes earlier, tender instead of dangerous, cautious instead of demanding. “Your face is too pretty for something to injure it.”

Beca should say no and she knew it. Because it was like her biggest dirty fantasy to end up in bed with Mina. Well, under completely different circumstances, but like, it was halfway there and that would be enough to get her going.

But instead of saying no again, her mouth had its own idea. “Okay, fine, but only because it will make you rest easier.” She stood up from the couch. Traitorous body. Traitorous mouth. Stupid Beca.

They both walked into Mina’s room. Beca hesitantly went over to the side she’d been waking up on, figuring it had to be the one Mina didn’t want. She pulled back the covers and slipped in.

She almost lost it when she looked up and Mina had her back turned to Beca, but she definitely had no fucking shirt on and holy god her back looked like it was carved from marble. Beca wanted to reach out and touch the other woman just to see if her skin was as smooth on her body as it was on her hands. It probably was. Mina probably had some crazy expensive moisturizer stashed somewhere.

She imagined herself raising up on her knees and reaching out and touching Mina. She breathed a sigh at the feel of skin under her fingers and her brain slipped off into what would happen afterwards. Mina would turn around with a raised eyebrow, but she wouldn’t move Beca’s hand off her body. She would step closer, instead with that dangerous smirk on her face and kiss Beca.

Beca snapped out of it just as her hand was actually about to touch Mina’s back. She jerked it back just as Mina was turning around, shirt sliding down her body. Shit, shit, shit, Mina was going to see her.

“Mouse?” Mina asked. “Is something wrong?”

Beca thought the fastest she’d ever thought in her life. There was a tag sticking out of Mina’s collar and she thanked the fucking gods for the easy out. “Um, just your tag, I was going to fix it for you.”

“Oh, okay, then fix it.” Mina turned her back towards Beca once more and Beca swallowed hard. Lord give her strength.

She reached out and took the tag gently in her fingers and tucked it softly away, her fingers brushing up against feather soft skin. Mina sighed out a breath and relaxed into the light touch. She paused for a second, breathing in slowly and deeply before turning around again.

“Danke, kleine maus.” Mina smiled at Beca.

“Um, bitte.” She quickly tucked her hands by her side so Mina didn’t see that they were shaking.

“German, you are a multitalented individual.”

She shrugged. “High school, had to take a language of some sort. I don’t remember much, though.” She sat back down on her side.

Mina climbed into bed a second later. “The American education system,” she scoffed. “What a joke.”

“Yeah, you have no idea.” She settled back against her pillows.

Mina settled down again, suddenly very, very close to Beca. When had queen sized beds become so small?

“I am glad I don’t.” She yawned and Beca thought it was too cute for words. “Goodnight, mouse.”

“Goodnight, Mina.”

Beca wasn’t sure that she was going to be able to sleep. Her body was too keyed up from Mina being near. But then again it was two something in the morning and her body was feeling that too. She started to drift to sleep, but something wasn’t quite right for her to fall all the way to sleep.

Then Mina was scooting carefully, slowly across the bed. Beca wondered in her almost asleep mind what in the world she was doing, but another second passed and Mina’s arm was draped over Beca’s waist and Beca sighed, scooting just a little bit more into Mina’s touch. Ah, that’s what had been missing all along.

“Night,” she mumbled.

Mina froze for a second before relaxing. Beca smiled, haha she’d been caught.

“Night.” Mina sighed and a moment later everything was quiet and right with the world and Beca fell asleep easily.

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

All she had to do was say she forgot her key, right? That was believable enough. But what if Mina wasn’t home, then she’d be stuck with all this food for herself… This situation was growing way out of control. Beca looked down at the paper bags in her hands. After seeing the layer of dust on Mina’s stove, the brunette had decided to take it upon herself to ensure the other woman ate at least one decently cooked meal. If that meant Beca went grocery shopping for all the necessary ingredients to make pesto alfredo tortellini for two and then feigned forgetting her key, well, then, so be it.

She swallowed, tucked her keys away in a deep pocket, double, then triple checked that they weren’t visible to anyone else, and then took a deep breath. She was outside Mina’s door now. All she had to do was knock. She just had to actually get up the courage to knock. After all the times she’d managed to do just that this time seemed different. It was a hell of a lot more premeditated than any of the others, that was probably the difference.

But fuck it, she was only going to live once. Jesus, she was actually talking in stupid teenage platitudes. It was really time to just get this over with.

She raised her hand and knocked and prayed that Mina was home. A second later she heard shuffling on the other side of the door and she sagged a bit in relief. Mina opened her door, smiling wide.

“Little mouse, what a surprise.”

“Hi.” She waved as best she could with paper bags in her arms. Which really meant she just looked really, really awkward, but since that was how she felt anyway, it wasn’t actually that out of place.

“Are you locked out again?” And again Beca saw that little spark of hopefulness pass through Mina’s eyes for just a second.

It was now or never. Either she lied and went through with it, or she chicken shitted out. There was a third option where she actually just admitted she wanted to make dinner for Mina. But no, that wasn’t really an option.

“Uh, yeah, sorry. I realized while I was at the store and tried to get back while the super would still be here, but I missed him by like fifteen minutes.” She held up her bags. “Not exactly a great time to forget. I have ice cream that’s sort of going to melt all over me.”

Mina ushered her in quickly. “You can put everything in my fridge. There’s plenty of room. I admit, I don’t usually have much on hand since I’m not here for large stretches of time.”

“Awesome,” Beca said, walking to the kitchen. “Thank you.”

She opened the fridge and then put everything inside before turning back around to face Mina. “I hate that I keep ending up here and crashing your party. Let me fix you dinner as a thank you?” She held her breath as Mina decided.

A soft smile painted Mina’s face. “I would love that, Beca. Thank you. But really, there’s no need to feel obligated to do anything to repay me. Just think of it as a meal between friends instead.”

Beca felt a little bit shot to the heart at the word friends, but at least Mina had said yes to dinner. Her cooking skills weren’t good enough to make anyone instantly want to marry her or anything, but like, it was definitely a step in the right direction.

“Alright then, cool. How do you feel about pesto alfredo tortellini?” she asked.

“That sounds wonderful. I actually believe I have some wine to go with that. You like white wine?”

Beca nodded. “Yeah, I do. Better than red wine, for sure.” She scrunched up her face.

“You do not like it?”

She shook her head a little too quickly. “No, it’s kind of disgusting. I don’t know why, but it just tastes like ass.”

Mina laughed at that. “I do not agree, but perhaps you just haven’t had the right type of red wine.”

Beca shrugged. “Maybe, I mean, college wasn’t a great time for any sort of quality alcohol. Boxed wine.”

This time it was Mina’s turned to pull a face. “American monstrosity, really. Perhaps the next time you get locked out I can introduce you to what good red wine is.”

Beca smiled at that. She’d like that, but then again, that would mean she’d have to get locked out again, and really, she probably wouldn’t get locked out again soon. But she could fake being locked out again. She totally wasn’t above that, because right now it was really going well.

“Yeah, sounds like something to look forward to during a crappy time.”

“Good, it is a plan then.”

“So, pans, pots utensils and all that?” Beca asked.

“Oh, let me show you.” Mina opened a few cabinets and drawers. “Everything you need should be in these, but if there’s something specific you need just ask. I should know where it is.” She looked a little sheepish. “Like I said, I don’t cook much so it might be a bit of a scavenger hunt.”

“I was always great at those when I was little. I’m sure between the two of us we’ll be able to find whatever we need.”

Mina walked a few paces away and hopped up on the island counter, perching herself daintily on the edge. “Yes, I suppose we will.”

Beca looked at her for a long second. Was there something extra in that statement? She wasn’t sure, but...she shook herself and started to pull out the utensils she needed. When she had everything set out to her liking she pulled the flour from one of the bags of non-refrigerated items and the eggs from the fridge. She poured out enough flour, made a little well in the middle and started to crack the eggs into it.

“You make your own pasta?” Mina asked.

Beca turned just enough so she could see Mina over her shoulder as she kept doing things with the pasta. “Yeah, sometimes, it just depends on my mood and how much time I have, you know?”

Mina nodded. “I understand.”

Beca turned her full attention back to the task at hand, pulling everything together and trying to figure out if there was still too much moisture or just enough. She sprinkled a little more flour on top and massaged it in and nodded. That would do it.

“I know you don’t have a whole lot of time, but do you cook when you have time or do you use that precious time for other stuff?” She dusted the counter with some more flour and grabbed the rolling pin. This would go a hell of a lot faster with a pasta roller, but she’d done it both ways so fuck it. It might just not be as neat.

“Sometimes I cook, but mostly I just catch up on sleep and relax, maybe do some other chores that are in dire need of doing. Most of the rest of the upper levels of our label have just hired someone to do most of the chores for them, but that’s not really my style. I like having my own private space exactly how I want it. It would be different with a significant other cleaning, at least they would care about my preferences, but maids...not exactly.”

Beca nodded her understanding, checking the thickness of the pasta sheet she’d just rolled out. A little thinner first but then she could cut it easily.

“I get that. Though sometimes I’m just so lazy that even when I have all the time in the world things don’t get done. I’ll just marathon a season of a TV show on Netflix instead. Because you know, I’m a fully functioning adult and have been for a while now.”

Mina laughed. “Adulthood is an illusion. No one really knows what they are doing.”

“Yeah, I figured that out really quickly when I started living on my own.” She nodded at the thickness of the pasta sheet. She stepped to the side and grabbed a bowl. She mixed together a bunch of cheeses together to form the filling for her tortelli. She cut out the strips she needed and put a dab of filling in each before folding them quickly and placing them in another bowl. “My Dad said that feeling doesn’t really go away until you have kids, but I’m not sure I believe him even then and I’m not exactly about to have a kid to test that hypothesis.”

“I believe that’s a responsible decision.”

Beca snorted. “Yeah. Oh my god, me with a kid.” She shook her head. “I mean I keep getting locked out of my own apartment. How in the world am I supposed to take care of a kid when I can’t even remember to grab my keys when going shopping.”

“I think you will be a wonderful mother if you want to be, when the time comes. Forgetting keys has no bearing on that.”

Beca turned long enough to shoot Mina a smile. “Thanks. Maybe someday, but definitely not now. I sort of want my job to stabilize more before that and live my life a bit more, maybe find someone to share it with, all that jazz.” She shrugged.

Oh yeah, she’d like to find someone to share the rest of her life with. And someone was currently sitting on her kitchen island while Beca made her dinner while pretending to be locked out. Was that a little rushed, maybe, but she didn’t care right now. She just filled a large pot with water and put it on the burner, letting the water start to heat up as she grabbed butter and cream and started to make the alfredo sauce.

“Yes...finding someone to share it with…” Mina trailed off sounding wistful.

Beca turned to Mina again. “No luck with that on your end either?” she asked. She watched the other woman carefully, looking for any sign that she might have any chance with her at all.

Mina looked at Beca for a fleeting second before looking away again. “Some, but not enough,” she said cryptically.

Well what the hell did that mean? Ugh, she wished people just came with translations sometimes. That would make all of this easier and she could just fucking tell if Mina was interested in her and she wouldn’t have to do this whole dancing around one another thing that was going on right now. She felt like banging her head off the wall.

“I feel that,” Beca said instead.

“Well, here’s hoping we both have more luck in the future.”

“Yeah.” Beca wondered if Mina would say that if she knew that what she really wanted luck with was getting with her. She frowned and stirred in the cream and after that was mixed in she started adding in the cheese. Beca looked over at the water and saw it was just about to boil. Great.

“So how’s work been going?” Beca asked to break the small silence that had fallen between them.

“Oh, it is going well. Just busy, as always. We’re starting production on a new album so a great deal of work has been going over the numbers from the sound department on production cost and working with legal to make sure everything is in order and marketing to make sure the word gets out in time. Being in charge of everything means a great deal of delegation, but it also means knowing everything that’s going on. It’s a bit exhausting, to be honest.”

“I’m sorry. Will it calm down after this is all cleared up or will it just morph into something different?”

“The second option, I’m afraid.” She sighed. “As I’ve said before, I enjoy it, I really do, but sometimes I just need a break.”

Beca smiled at her. “Well this is sort of a mini-break.”

Mina looked at her and returned the smile, a little brittle around the edges. “It’s a bigger break than you know, mouse.”

“I’m glad I can help then.”

The water reached a rolling boil and Beca grabbed the bowl of tortellini and dropped them in gently. She looked at her watch and added two. That was the great thing about fresh pasta it cooked so damned fast. She looked at the alfredo and it was ready. The pesto would take another couple minutes to make. She grabbed out everything she would need quickly, keeping watch on the time. When she had everything good to go, the pasta’s time was up. She scooped out one of the tortellinis and bit into it. Perfect.

“Where did you learn how to cook?” Mina asked.

“Mostly just from recipes. My friends and I in college all took turns cooking dinner. Do that for four years and you actually manage to learn a few things. Especially since one of the girl’s was a chef’s daughter so she sort of taught us a few things along the way so we didn’t kill her or make her want to cut her tongue off.” Though honestly cooking tips from Lilly always had to be taken with a grain of salt because they might also be murder tips, you never knew. “I just pulled a bunch of things from the internet that were cheap and easy to make and worked my way up from there.”

All the pasta was in the alfredo. She mixed it thoroughly before dropping the heat to warm and focusing on the pesto. She dropped the pine nuts, extra parmesan, and basil into the blender and drizzled in the olive oil slowly. In a couple of minutes everything was done and she scooped the finished product into the pan with the alfredo. When she was done mixing this time Mina was by her side with plates.

“I figured you would be looking for these.”

Beca smiled at her. “Yup, those would help.” She took them and dished out a healthy portion onto each. Mina took the plates and put them on the kitchen table, grabbing the wine and uncorking it a second later. Beca ducked into the fridge once more and grabbed out a side salad and some Italian dressing.

“One thing I sort of hate to do is chop and wash things so.” She held up the salad. “Pre-made salads.” She looked a little sheepish. “Hope you don’t mind.”

“Of course I don’t. You were generous enough to make this meal for me why would I mind something as trivial as pre-made salad?”

Beca shrugged. “Some people do.”

“They’re idiots who don’t see what they have in front of them.” Mina’s look was significant yet again and Beca felt like she was watching a fucking movie in a foreign language without the captions. She was only getting half the information she needed. Ugh, this was endlessly frustrating.

She went over and got bowls for the salad and set everything down. Beca flopped in a chair and Mina sat on the other side with a grace Beca wasn’t sure should be legal. She held her breath as Mina lifted her first forkful to her mouth. This was it, the moment of judgement, oh god she hoped she hadn’t screwed up entirely.

Mina sighed as she chewed. “This is wonderful,” she said after she swallowed and then immediately dove back in for another bite. “Honestly, the best thing I’ve ever tasted…” Mina trailed off as she chewed.

“That’s because you haven’t tasted me yet--” Beca froze, fork halfway into her mouth. Her eyes grew comically wide as the reality of what she’d just said set in. She hoped that she hadn’t just stuck her foot in her mouth entirely. She startled from her frozen state not a second later when she heard clanging from across the table. She looked to see Mina’s fork tumbling into her lap from the plate, the blonde’s usually frosty German cheeks now stained bright pink.

Mina cleared her throat after a long second and looked back up at Beca, grabbing her fork and placing it back on the plate. Another breath in and the woman was back to her normal complexion and Beca wondered how the fuck she did that. If she blushed it was at least five minutes until it was really gone away. And then another instant and Mina was smirking at her.

“Well, I suppose that will have to wait for another meal, won’t it? Or perhaps that would be more of a dessert after a rather full course.”

Beca fell out in the floor. Holy shit she needed to do something so she didn’t stroke out right there and so she started to eat her salad, picking around the tomatoes. Why did everyone love tomatoes on salads. People would have been better off to keep thinking they were poisonous. Unless they were turned into ketchup, then she could totally deal. She picked up her wine and took a sip.

“Holy cow, that’s really good.”

Mina smiled. “I’m glad you think so. It’s one of my favorites.”

“If your taste in red wine is this good then I think I might actually like one for once.”

“Here’s hoping.” Mina raised her glass teasingly and took a drink of her own, humming.

God, that hum did things to Beca. She choked on the air she was breathing in and had to play it off as swallowing her wine wrong. Mina looked over at her concerned, but she stayed where she was when Beca waved her off with a forced smile around all the coughing.

When she finally stopped Mina looked relieved. “I thought you weren’t going to be around long enough to truly enjoy the dinner you made.”

Beca snorted. “Yeah, takes more than a little wine to get me. Thanks though.”

“Of course.” Mina nodded.

The meal passed with pleasant small talk. Beca learned a bit more about Mina, where she was from in Germany, what she’d majored in in college, what it was like to tour with DSM, basic facts, really, but still each and everything thing felt special. She told Mina a bit about herself in return and that somehow led to stories about some of the adventures with the Bellas, including the one time Amy came a couple of stitches shy of flashing the president. Mina laughed along with the stories, eyes a warm blue that reminded Beca of a summer sky. And just like summer, she really didn’t want this meal to end, but it had to.

Beca started to clear the dishes during one of the natural lulls in their conversation, but Mina slapped her hands away.

“You’ve just made the meal, there’s no need for you to clean up afterwards, as well.”

“Really, I don’t mind. Most of the work will be done by the dishwasher anyway.”

Mina just looked at Beca until Beca sat back down slowly and then she nodded. “I thought you would see it my way.”

“Didn’t exactly have a choice. Has anyone ever told you that you can look damn intimidating when you want to?”

Mina shot her a smirk before starting to clean everything up herself. “Oh, most days, really. I was the Kommissar in the past and I don’t think you leave such things completely in the past. It’s good for being a woman in business really.”

Beca couldn’t really say much to negate that. Sometimes, even in the music world her hard-edged sarcasm got her out of a fair deal of not-so-fun situations.

“Fair. Do your minions cower away from you when you look at them like that?”

Mina snorted. “Minions? Hardly what I would call them, but it depends. If they were part of DSM no, they are very, very used to such looks, but they know to get whatever they are doing done before something more...unpleasant happens. The new ones? They are scared, sometimes, but other times, not so much. Those are usually men, just freshly hired from college, thinking then know everything when they know little at all.” A savage smirk made it’s way onto Mina’s face. “I have a good time showing them that they are no longer the big man on campus. They most assuredly have a far different experience.”

Beca smirked back at her, knowing exactly what sort of guy Mina was talking about. “Glad you have fun with it.”

“Oh, so am I.” Mina finished putting the last of the dishes in the dishwasher and set to scrubbing the large pans.

Beca sat in silence for a while, just watching Mina sitting there in silence as water sloshed around in the pots and pans she was washing. This woman was...more than she expected. And Beca had truly expected a lot, but somehow Mina just was better. She didn’t even feel bad that she had faked losing her key because she had truly gotten to spend time with the other woman. She could never feel bad about that. Though perhaps lying wasn’t the best way to start out a relationship, if Mina ever found out, maybe she would be forgiven.

Mina turned to her, all the pots in the drying rack now. “Come, mouse, let’s go into the living room. I have a few more emails to answer, but I find I don’t want to be in my office anymore. There’s the TV if you would like and I do have a fair amount of books if that is more your speed.”

Beca bit her lip. She really didn’t read much, or at least she really didn’t read a lot of paper books anymore. A lot of stuff she read was online articles spanning a great number of subjects, but usually focused somewhere around music. But she knew that getting a look at Mina’s book collection would tell her even more about the other woman.

“Books would be cool. Plus the extra noise from the TV might distract you and I don’t want to do that.”

Mina waved that off. “Working in an office, even though I have my own corner office, is very distracting. I’ve learned to tune everything out but what I’m working on. TV would not distract me. If you would like to watch it instead, feel free.”

Beca shook her head. “No, seriously, books are good.” She gave an awkward little thumbs up.

Mina smiled. “Well, this way then. My bookshelf is in my study.”

Mina led her back to her study and stopped in front of three large bookshelves practically groaning under the weight of all the books on them. “Choose any one you like, they’re in no real particular order.” She pointed at a lower shelf on the second one. “Though those are mostly management books and I doubt you would be interested in those. Most everything else is fiction of a sort. I keep most of my more...business oriented collection at the office for obvious reasons.”

“Why not keep the management books there then?” Beca asked, already reading some of the titles in front of her.

“Because I do not want anyone to know that I read them. They are mostly how to set up a management style. I had experience from leading DSM, but leading an a cappella group and leading a company are two different things. I wanted to be prepared for all eventualities and so I bought and read them, but no one else knows that.”

Beca looked over at the woman. “Well, your secret is safe with me.”

“I’m glad, little mouse. I feel a great many things would be safe with you, not just one little secret.” She reached out and squeezed Beca’s shoulder before walking to her desk and grabbing her laptop. “I’ll be in the living room. If you have any questions, just yell.” And with that she disappeared.

Beca looked after her for a few seconds. Had Mina just said that she trusted Beca? Because that’s totally what it sounded like. She swallowed. Had they really reached that level already? Happy little butterflies bloomed in her stomach. She hoped they had because if they had then that meant good things for their future. Maybe her impossible dream of Mina being interested in her might one day come true. Or at the very least they could become close friends. And she liked that idea, maybe not as much, if she was honest with herself, but it would do nicely.

She looked back at the bookshelf. This time she read over the titles more carefully. Wuthering Heights, Jane Eyre, Emma, Agnes Grey, literally it seemed that all the publications of the Bronte sisters were there on the shelf all grouped mostly together, interspersed with all of Jane Austen’s works and Charles Dickens. Beca was beginning to notice a theme here. Literature from the eighteen hundreds for five hundred, Alex, she thought as she felt along the well worn spines. The books written by women seemed to be more heavily read, the spines more worn, the pages a bit dirtier, but still in very good shape. She looked onward, finding Frankenstein and a bunch of works by Oscar Wilde. The next shelf over things transitioned into the modern era. There were books by Steinbeck and F. Scott Fitzgerald and a few other modern classics, but then there were books by Margaret Atwood and Maya Angelou and Neil Gaiman and everyone in-between, every genre in-between. Beca was shocked at the sheer amount of books that were here. She almost felt like she was in a bookstore.

But the one little book out of all of it that stood out to her the most was a very worn copy of Dracula, carefully placed on top of some of the other books, cover holding on by just a thread, pages actually yellow with age. She reached forward and picked it up carefully and flipped through a few pages. Inside it was covered in Mina’s writing, in some places the words blended together even, weaving themselves into the story. This was Mina’s favorite book, she could tell already. It wasn’t exactly a staggeringly hard conclusion. If someone took the time to read the book enough to where it was falling apart, with notes from cover to cover, it had to be their favorite book.

She held it to her chest carefully and started towards the living room. She’d never had to read Dracula for school at any level, but she knew the basic premise, everyone did. But she had a feeling that she would learn more about Mina through the story and her notes in these pages than she would learn about classic literature, and that’s what she had really set out in the first place to do, wasn’t it?

Beca found Mina sitting on the couch, laptop already booted up with a concentrated look on her face. She flopped down at the other end of the couch and after a second’s hesitation she put her legs up with Mina’s, tangling them together. Mina looked up at her for just a second, smiling, before going back to her work. Beca looked at their intertwined legs. Jesus, her legs looked so short and stumpy compared to Mina’s. They went on forever, and her own barely made it to Mina’s mid-thigh, and that was probably being generous.

She sighed and settled back into the couch, starting to read, watching the story unfold before her through both her eyes and through Mina’s through the notes on the page. Sometimes the notes were deep dissections of characters, sometimes they were no more than an opinion that she didn’t like a line, but Beca found them more captivating than the book itself.

They sat like that, in silence, just existing together for a while before Beca started to yawn. She’d have to shower soon, but she was almost at the end of Harker’s part and she wanted to get to it before she hit the hay. But Mina had noticed.

“Would you like to shower tonight, mouse?” she asked, looking up at her, clear blue eyes reflecting the light from her computer screen easily.

“Oh, um, yeah, if that’s cool.”

“Of course it is.”

And without hesitation they both stepped into their nightly routines. Somehow it worked like clockwork even though they’d only done this once before, but before she knew it, Beca was in bed with the other woman again, tired, happy, and almost completely content. They hadn’t even talked about where Beca would sleep tonight, they had just silently agreed. Beca was over the moon at that really.

She laid back on her pillow. “Goodnight, Mina.”

“Schlaf gut, kleine maus,” Mina said. She tangled their legs together under the covers and shut her eyes.

Beca froze just a little bit. It was so much more intimate to tangle their legs together here than it was on the couch. And Mina had done it herself. She felt her heart speed up. What did it mean? Did it mean anything at all?

The one thing it did mean for sure was that this woman was totally going to kill her one way or another. And she was more than fine with that.

 

Mina knew she was home early. She’d been coming home at a decent hour as often as she could for weeks now, hoping, maybe even praying that she’d get to see her little mouse. Except it had been another week without seeing her at all. Their dinner had gone great, but every time she had seen the other woman in the hall she had seemed harried. A simple hi or goodbye in the hall was all she had gotten for three weeks now and inside she was...not dying, because that would be very over dramatic, Pieter levels of over dramatic, but she was most definitely not happy. She missed the little mouse that could light up her evenings just by showing up and nothing more.

She sighed and threw her stuff on the couch, not looking forward to another night alone. She should have just stayed at work. At least there there were always people burning the midnight oil so she didn’t feel so alone. How was it in a city of millions she managed to feel like the only one in the world.

And yet somehow Beca fixed that. Or...no, she made Mina feel like the only one in the world, but that wasn’t a bad thing with her. Mina knew enough about sappy descriptions of love to know that was one of them. She worked in the music business, sappy descriptions of love should be her alternative job title. She knew it was cliche, she knew it was dumb, it went against all of her rather German set of sensibilities, but there was something special about Beca Mitchell that made her think that the other woman was that one they had talked about, the one that made coming home worthwhile.

Yet, what was she to do about it. As many loaded glances as she had sent the other woman she had gotten nothing in return except a little bit of cute, flustered sputtering. That was not a reaction of someone who was interested in her, just someone who was easily teased.

Perhaps it was good that the little mouse hadn’t shown up on her doorstep in a while. Perhaps they could have one of those slowly drifting apart breaks that only hurt for a little while before fading into the ether. Not all relationships with other people were meant to be permanent. It was the way of the world. Some people only passed through like ships on a great and vast ocean never to be seen again no matter how big of an affect they left behind.

Mina sat down on her couch. She had a bottle of red wine that she was saving for the next time Beca came over, stashed in her pantry all ready to go. Maybe she would drink that tonight, make the first of that slow drifting break happen. A pain lanced through her heart, but she was pragmatic. She knew when to let go.

She had just gotten up when the first knock on her door sounded. Mina’s heart sped up. It couldn’t be, could it? She knew she shouldn’t get her hopes up, it could just be Aren. She knew the other woman was home. She had left at five o’clock sharp to go be with Stacie and cook dinner with her like a happy couple. They could be out of something and asking Mina to borrow some.

But she got her hopes up anyway because in this matter, her brain was not under her own control. She didn’t mind so much as she drifted forward and looked out the peep hole to find just the very top of Beca’s head. Mina sighed, body relaxing for the first time in what felt like forever.

She pulled open the door. “Tiny mouse, I thought I would only ever see you again in the hallway.”

Beca shuffled her feet, but she was looking up at Mina with a smile on her face. “Uh, yeah, sorry, we just had a big new album to produce and it was one of my first with a big name artist so I was busting my ass to make sure that everything I did was perfect. But now it’s pretty much done, all he has to do is record them, but he’s going on vacation for a month so I’ve got some time to chill before I’m back there seemingly all day every day.”

Mina nodded along. She knew that feeling intimately. “Are you locked out or just coming for a visit?” She hoped that Beca would stop with the pretense of being locked out. No human in life was locked out that many times in such short order. Especially the last time where she saw Beca’s keys sticking out of her pants pocket the next morning. Why in the world was the other woman even pretending? Did she not like Mina as much as she said she did? Was it something more sinister? She had had plenty of people use her before, both for her beauty and power, this could be something like that, she supposed. But Beca did not feel like those people. So what then?

“Um, I actually came over to ask a question.” She held up her laptop. “I’m working on just a couple mixes I’m doing for fun and if they’re accepted great, and if not they were fun, you know. I just need another opinion on this one passage and you’re the only other music person I know.” She took a big breath and held it just for a second before words literally came tumbling from her mouth. “And yeah I may be a little bit locked out right now but it’s okay because I literally missed you a lot during the past couple of weeks and I hope you don’t think that’s weird because we barely know each other or anything, but…” she finally trailed off, running out of breath. “Yeah, sorry, I just.” She shrugged.

Mina stepped back easily. “Come on, little mouse, come in. I missed you too in our time apart. You must come over more on a regular basis and not just when you’re locked out.”

Beca looked like Mina had just handed her a giant five pound bar of chocolate that wouldn’t make her gain an ounce of weight. “Uh, yeah, that sounds like a cool idea. I’d really like that alot.”

“I would as well.” Mina hesitated for just a second before she reached out and grabbed Beca’s hand. “Come, let us see about your music passage.” She lead them to the couch and they sank down together, the perfect amount of space between them as Beca opened up her laptop and typed the password in, screen opening to the same mixing program that Mina’s studio used.

Beca pointed at a passage that was already highlighted. “It’s this one. It doesn’t sound right with the rest of the song and I can’t figure out how to fix it. It’s driving me crazy.”

Mina studied the music carefully, mind easily supplying her with what it would sound like tonally. She didn’t even have to hear it to know what was wrong with it. Anyone who had taken a beginning music theory class would know what was wrong with it. And she had looked up some of the songs Beca had worked on. She knew her little mouse was better than this. In fact, this almost looked like it had been deliberately fucked up.

But yet she humored her anyway. “Play it for me.”

Beca hit play and Mina listened the song quietly, taking in the layers of sound. It was a beautiful piece really. Mellow and most definitely skewed towards Indie rock, Mina felt herself getting lost in the music. If Beca didn’t work for another company, she would want this song for her own label. But then the offending passage was playing and Mina winced at the dissonance. She immediately hit pause.

“I know exactly what’s wrong with it.” Mina adjusted the notes so they were in harmony again, flowing with the rest of the song, and played it again. This time everything was meshed together perfectly.

Beca sighed audibly. “Oh thank god. I don’t know what I would have done. Probably like thrown my computer across the room, but that would have been very, very bad because this thing is like my child.”

The words ‘Beca, why are you really here?’ almost rolled off her tongue, but she managed to stop them just before they were spoken. She didn’t want the other woman to leave. She had just gotten here, she was spending the night again. There was so much time that they had together now and she didn’t want to ruin it just yet. So much for tonight being the first night of the slow drift apart between them. Now that Beca was here she wanted nothing more than to never let that happen.

“Well, I suppose it’s a good thing you live right next door to someone who can help you then, isn’t it.”

Beca looked at her, and for a second, Mina thought that her own longing looks were being returned, but then the mouse’s face was a mask again and she wasn’t sure that what she had seen hadn’t been wishful thinking. “Oh, you have no idea.” Beca looked back at her screen before looking at Mina. “Do you still have work to do?”

Mina nodded. “I do, mostly just emails as per normal. I save them for last because I can answer them from home.”

“Makes sense. Want to work together?” She looked at Mina’s Macbook. “You have an extra charger perchance. Mine’s sort of locked in my apartment right now.”

Again, Mina had to bite back the comment about her probably having keys on her. It was bothering her, this lying. She wanted to get to the bottom of it. She wanted to turn cold and deadly, to be the Kommissar and to get her answers, but she didn’t want to drive this woman away. If she waited, she knew she would get her answers one way or another. Hopefully, if they weren’t the ones she was looking for she wouldn’t be too wrapped up in this other woman, though she wasn’t quite sure that was possible. Not when she probably already was.

“Yes, I do. I keep one here, one at the office, and one that travels around with me in my bag.” She pulled out the one in her bag and handed it to Beca. “Here you go.”

“Thanks.” Beca quickly searched out an outlet and plugged her laptop in. She sat back down on the couch and slipped on a pair of headphones that had been resting around her neck.

They worked in easy silence for a while. Mina knew it was rare to be so comfortable just sitting with another person. And yet with Beca it had been like this since day one almost. Mina frowned and went back to answering emails. That was easy. She knew all the answers, everything always in her control. This thing with Beca was not.

And so the night went. They worked together and then when Beca was done with her song for the night she got up and casually walked around the couch, trailing her hand over Mina’s shoulder almost absently, into the kitchen. Mina heard the other woman rustle around for a little while before Beca’s head peeked around the door frame.

“Hey, hope you don’t mind, but I cobbled together something simple for us for dinner.” She smiled tentatively, not exactly sure that she hadn’t overstepped her bounds, Mina could read that clear as day on her face.

Mina smiled back warmly. “Thank you, mouse, you didn’t have to do that.”

Beca just shrugged and looked away. “Really, it’s no problem. I don’t mind cooking. It’s actually relaxing. And really, all I did was slice up vegetables so like, salad, not exactly the most complicated thing ever.”

Mina laughed, setting her computer aside. “No, I suppose not.” She walked into the kitchen where Beca had already set up everything for them.”

“I didn’t know how much dressing you would want, or even if you would want any, but I made raspberry vinaigrette.” She held up a small container.

“That sounds lovely.” Mina smiled and took the container from Beca gently before pouring a good amount over the salad and mixing it up. She took a bite and hummed. It had just the right amount of everything.

When Mina looked up again Beca was staring at her, blinking rapidly, looking like she was trying to snap herself out of a trance. Mina cocked an eyebrow at her, which gained a rather bright red blush. Mina wasn’t the best with social signals in personal situations, but now that she was paying attention, it really did seem like the little mouse was interested in her. If Beca was any other girl she would have called it a long time ago. She was being overly cautious because she did not want to mess this up.

But then again there was still the fact that she didn’t know why Beca was coming over hanging over everything as well. She sighed and went back to eating quietly. And yet she still wanted to talk to Beca, to know how her day was, anything and everything about the woman. It couldn’t really hurt, she supposed.

“So, was the artist you were working with a good one to work with or was he one of the drama queens?” Mina asked.

“A mix I guess?” Beca shrugged. “Sometimes he could be really chill and awesome but the next second on something else he would just be the most stubborn person I’ve ever met in my life. So it kind of felt like two steps forward one step back the whole time in that respect.”

Mina snorted. “Did he say he was keeping his artistic integrity?”

Beca groaned and nodded. “Yeah, yeah he did. I understand, but like, ugh.” She shrieked with her mouth closed for a second before going back to eating her salad.

Mina reached out and patted Beca’s hand. “There, there, little mouse, I would say I hope you never have to deal with such things again, but it is the music industry and I’m realistic.”

“I suppose it’s the thought there that counts then.” She speared a strawberry and brought it up to her mouth. “Exactly how many of those artists do you deal with on a regular basis?”

“More than I would ever wish on anyone else, though I don’t deal with them as directly as my producers do, thank god. It’s a small company, obviously, since we are so new, but even with my fingers in all the pies, I only get a bit of the frustration that comes with that, usually when my producers have had enough and need someone to help them settle out an amenable solution.”

“Ew, that sounds sort of shitty because by then everyone’s a little bit angry and hard to control.”

Mina just smirked. “I find I can manage them easily. All I have to do is take charge of the situation and most everyone falls in line.”

“Because you’re like six feet of gorgeously long legs with a scary-as-fuck glare.”

Mina nodded. “Oh yes, both of those things do help, but I find it’s more the air of being in charge that gets people to do what I want them to more than anything. Fake it ‘til you make it is the American saying I believe. Make them believe you are in charge and suddenly you are, ja?”

“Yeah, that’s the saying, but I don’t know if I could actually pull that off. I’m tiny and cute and no one takes me seriously even with the ‘I’m a boss ass bitch’ attitude.”

Mina tilted her head and looked at Beca, slowly chewing a bite, buying time to think before she replied. “I think you could own a room if you really put your all into it. You are new at your company and don’t want to make waves, but there’s fire in you, little mouse. I could see you being very feisty. You can’t let anyone else steamroller over you if you want to advance. Make waves, it’s how you get noticed. You are smart enough to know when to push and when to back off so you don’t take it too far, but you still have to step forward originally to do so.”

Beca looked away from her, fork twirling around her plate, playing absently with what little remained on her plate. “Maybe. I don’t know.”

“There is potential in you, Beca. I can see it as a business executive, but that’s only because I have noticed you and know you. You have to do the same thing at your company. Your mix that I just heard was good enough to stand on it’s own, but if you made a reputation for yourself even before that, it will get you even farther.”

The other woman rubbed the back of her neck. “Uh, thanks, I’ve just never super been the take charge person. I mean, I was in college with the whole a capella deal, but I sort of fell into that, I didn’t seek it out and it was only because I was being a hard headed bitch.”

“You need to be hard headed, yes, but I think you’ve learned enough to take the bitch out of the equation, yes?”

“Somewhat, I mean, bitch is part of my personality and so is sarcastic, but I can dial it down a bit.” She shrugged.

Mina reached out again and took Beca’s hand this time interlacing their fingers. “I just want you to be as successful as possible, you understand?”

Beca finally looked back at her. “Yeah, I get that, but sometimes advice is harder to execute than to say. Like I know what you’re saying is good advice, but like...there’s part of me that’s screaming fuck no don’t do that, too, so.” She squeezed Mina’s hand. “I guess I could try, but if it ends in catastrophic failure, you owe me like a six pack of good German imported beer or something.”

Mina smiled at that, heat from their joined hands warming her entire being. “I think that’s a good deal. But I’ll still buy that beer and when you succeed it will be a celebration.” She picked up both of their plates and wandered to the dishwasher, throwing them in and grabbing two wine glasses out of the glass cabinet. She walked over to the pantry and pulled the bottle of wine out, uncorking it and letting it breath while she gathered the rest of what she had planned for when Beca came over. She set a box of gourmet chocolates before Beca and smiled.

“You said you would trust my taste in red wines. Shall we put that to the test?”

“Red wine and chocolate?” Beca scrunched her nose.

“Oh yes, they pair beautifully.” She poured their wine and gave Beca her glass, taking a sip from her own. She’d spent probably a bit too much money on this bottle, one of her favorites, but much too expensive for anything other than very special occasions. The taste was worth it though. She closed her eyes and savored the liquid as it coated her tongue and slipped gently down her throat.

“God, you make drinking wine look better than a porno.”

Mina’s eyes snapped open, a smirk already on her face. “Oh, do I now?”

Beca spluttered for a second, unable to come up with anything else to say. Instead she just grabbed one of the chocolates and started eating. After a second she moaned. “Oh my god, this is great chocolate. Where the fuck did you get this?”

“There’s a German chocolatier downtown. He is pricy, but my he does know what he’s doing.” Mina took a chocolate and bit into it. Dark chocolate always tasted so very sinful. When she had been younger she liked to imagine that she was literally tasting a piece of darkness itself. She couldn’t say that didn’t influence her still.

“Scratch the wine thing.” Beca shifted awkwardly in her seat. “You just, with the chocolate and I’m. Yeah.”

“Try your wine, mouse, swirl it around a bit so it can breath. It will taste better that way.”

Beca did as instructed and then raised her glass to her lips. She took a tiny sip, an evaluating look on her face, before swallowing. “It’s not bad, but I think I’m forever going to like white wine more than red. But yeah, this beats the boxed stuff by like...there isn’t even a distance to quantify how much.”

Mina snorted gently. “I’m glad. Perhaps next we should try a good rose. A little bit of a middle ground for you, ja?” She swirled the wine in her glass, looking over the rim at Beca before taking a long, slow drink.

“Ja. Um, yes, right, sure, definitely.”

“How many yes’s do you think I need, little mouse?” Mina chuckled, a dark smoky sound. She saw immediately that Beca’s eyes widened and her blush deepened. She licked her lips and looked at Mina with so much want that it was unmistakable. The little mouse was interested in her. How...lovely. She could work with that.

Beca took a long drink of her wine. “Um, I mean the more the merrier, right? You can be sure that I’m actually saying yes, right?”

“I suppose that is true.” Mina grabbed another chocolate and ate it slowly. She watched as Beca’s jaw muscles worked. She wondered how she had missed all these blatant signals of attraction. Then again, perhaps she hadn’t, she had just misinterpreted them, thought they were too good to be true, things of that nature. She had a tendency to over-analyze and she knew it.

They finished their wine slowly, sip by sip, eating chocolates along the way. Mina felt more satisfied than she had in a while, but there was still something nagging at her. She waited while Beca showered for the night, tapping her fingers on her keyboard, not getting anything productive done, but just thinking. Should she bring it up or should she just wait? She was patient when she wanted to be, but she was also as blunt as a sledgehammer at other times. What would the best approach here be? Was there something in the middle that would get her what she wanted without destroying anything?

Beca got out of the shower and Mina walked in, feeling the leftover humidity on her skin. She cleaned off the mirror and looked at herself, blue eyes flinty in color, the same color they always were when she was conflicted. She saw no answers in her reflection, only more indecisions. She sighed and stripped off her clothes, turning on the shower to full blast as far as it could go. Fire could not kill a dragon she supposed. She stepped in and washed quickly, water not relieving her problems either.

And her problems weren’t relieved until she slipped into bed beside Beca, looking at the other girl, wet hair making the pillow underneath her damp. Cleaned of makeup, she looked beautiful in the dim light. Mina tangled their legs together as she had the last time Beca had stayed over. Beca sighed and scooted just a bit closer to Mina, still leaving space between them, but any closer and they would be cuddling.

“Beca, why are you lying about getting locked out?” And the words were out of her mouth before she could soften the blow. Sledgehammer it was then.

Beca tensed up and drew back. “Um, I’m not lying? Why would you think that?”

“I saw your keys in your pants pocket the last time you were over. I think if I checked now I would find the same thing. I also think you knew exactly what was wrong with that music arrangement. It actually looked like you fucked it up on purpose. So why are you lying? Why are you making up excuses to come over here? I would be glad to have you for no other reason than you want to be here, have I not made that clear? I like you here, but do you like being here, or am I some dirty little secret you have to make up excuses to please yourself into coming over here. Because if that’s the case...perhaps you should not come at all. I’m tired of the excuses. I do not accept them from my employees and I will not accept them from anyone else.”

Beca untangled their legs and stumbled out of bed. Panic was clear on her face and Mina knew that sledgehammer had been a very bad choice in this situation, but she couldn’t take it back now. “I, um, I, it’s not like that at all I mean, like, it really isn’t. I just really like spending time with you and I didn’t know if you liked spending time with me so like, I pretended to be locked out and everything and it was great. At least, it was for me…” She trailed off, looking more like a deer caught in the headlights than anyone had the right to.

“And it was for me too, all of it. But I do not like being lied to and I do not like excuses either, as I have said.”

Beca looked down at the floor. “The first two times were honest to god lock outs. I do have talent in that department, I guess.” She shrugged. “The second time I claimed my apartment was haunted, I was really actually locked out too, but it was more premeditated because I wanted to see you again but it was like one in the morning and I didn’t want to just show up in case you were sleeping...now that I think about it, that kind of sounds super inconsiderate anyways, so sorry about that. The rest of the times, yeah, I had my keys on me, because the Super was going to start being an asshole about it if I kept going down and, yeah. I like being here. They aren’t excuses for myself, they’re excuses for you to let me in and spend time with me.” Her fists clenched. “Because I’m not exactly good at making friends and I’m even worse around people I like more, so I make up shit. Big surprise, huh? Usually they’re little white lies that no one ever figures out and then we’re friends and it’s all good. But, yeah, you figured it out and so that’s awkward. I’m sorry, but I’m not sorry I got to spend time with you. So that’s all the truth about the situation.” She scooped up her clothes from the bedroom floor. “I’m going to go now. Sorry.” She practically ran out the door and down the hall, out into the apartment complex hall, and her door shut loudly with a finality that Mina felt all the way in her bones.

Mina wanted to run after her. She did. She really did. But she was numb. Her heart was ripping because there had been literal verbal confirmation that Beca liked her as more than a friend. She had been right. Beca could have been that person she came home for. But she had ruined it. As she seemed to ruin anything that wasn’t based around DSM. She closed her eyes, not surprised to find she was crying.

She didn’t sleep that night. There were too many thoughts in her head. And if she thought it was fitting that it was almost sort of a punishment for what she had done, well then so be it.

 

 

Beca paced her apartment. She shouldn’t have run out like that. It was so fucking like her to just run away when things got hard. She thought the Bellas had trained that out of her, but she was still apparently the same person she had always been, just with better coping mechanisms. Coping mechanisms that could fail, and had last night.

She wanted to know how to fix this, but she couldn’t really think of a way. What the fuck did you do to make up for the fact that you’d based your whole relationship mostly on a lie? There wasn’t exactly a greeting card for that. And Jesus, she had even told Mina that she liked her more than a friend, though she was kind of hoping Mina didn’t catch that. But who was she kidding, Mina was a smart woman. She had heard everything that Beca said, knew every nuance, had probably dissected every word. Beca wondered if she found what her explanation lacking. Beca herself did, so she wasn’t exactly confident.

The whole entire problem was that she had been showing up when it seemed like she had no choice. Well, that and the lying, but she couldn’t take that back, and she had done all she could to negate that last night by telling the truth, all of it. All that was left to do was make up for the first problem.

She stopped walking. Well, the obvious solution was to show up at Mina’s apartment again, not pretending she was locked out, but saying she wanted to be there, simply because Mina was. And...if she really wanted to be honest, she could even do something with the fact that she really, really wanted to date Mina. That was as raw as she could get. And that was her best idea.

Beca closed her eyes and sent a thought up to the sky that she hoped to god this actually worked before she grabbed up her keys and her wallet and ran to her car. She knew Mina was home now. She’d listened intently to the comings and goings in the hallway and Mina’s door had a particular, loud snicking sound when it unlocked. She’d been home for an hour. Nothing was standing her way. Except for the fact that Mina might not want to let her in. But right here, right now, that was risk she was going to have to take.

She drove to the nearest fancy wine shop, thanking god that most places that sold alcohol stayed open later, and walked in. She had no idea what she was doing in here. She didn’t know wine. But somehow, she felt this was the place she needed to be, that this was the thing she needed to get. She walked to the rose section and stood, looking confused. She really needed someone to help her, but it looked like the two employees she could see were busy with either customers or want looked line inventory. And so she just stared for a long minute until the names of everything in front of her blurred together.

And then the employee who was doing inventory walked over. “Need any help?”

She nodded a little too frantically but she didn’t care. “Uh, yeah, I know nothing about wine, but, um, the woman I like really does and she said something about rose and I just...what’s the best one you have?”

The older man smiled at her. “Ah, wine is a good way to a woman’s heart. Do you know any of her preferences perchance?”

Beca shook her head. “Um, not really, I mean, she’s German so like, she’s a lot pickier about alcohol than I’ll ever be, but that’s about all I know. She told me the names of the wines we’ve drunk before but I couldn’t recall those even if my life depended on it.”

“German, huh, well, I can most certainly work with that. That means she would probably like something on the drier side and definitely something imported. Spain or France is the question.” He tapped his chin for a long moment before stepping forward and grabbing a bottle. “Here, this should do nicely. It’s a rose made from Pinot Noir grapes from France. It’s one of my favorite roses that we have in right now. Best thing about roses is they don’t break the bank. This one is only a little over twenty.”

Beca was a little bit floored with that, but if the wine guy said it was good, she wasn’t about to look that gift horse in the mouth. She took the bottle from him.

“Thanks a lot.”

He nodded. “Good luck.”

Beca paid quickly before going back out to her car. She didn’t feel she had quite enough yet, but she had something. What else would she even get? She looked across the street at a florist. It was closed already, but at least it gave Beca an idea. Their apartment complex had a little garden in the courtyard in the middle, complete with blood red roses. She would just cut one from there. It would be perfect.

She hurried home, got the rose, stabbing herself a shit ton in the process. Jesus rose thorns hurt, but the rose she got was beautiful. Then she marched upstairs and stood outside of Mina’s door for a couple of seconds to gather her courage and knocked before she could psyche herself out.

Beca closed her eyes, hoping and praying that Mina would answer. She probably would know it was Beca. After all it had been less than twenty-four hours since Beca had ran out, and if she didn’t answer when Beca knew she was home, then...well Beca didn’t exactly know what she was going to do. Probably hit herself for being so stupid. Sounded like a good idea.

But then there was the sound of a door opening. She blinked open her eyes to see Mina standing there in the doorway, hope in her eyes but her face reserved.

“Hi,” Beca said, probably way too awkwardly considering they’d literally shared the same bed on more than one occasion. “Um, look, I’m sorry I ran out last night. Sometimes that’s just a thing I do and it’s stupid, but.” She shook herself. “That’s not why I came here.” She held up the bottle of wine and the flower. “I’m here because I want to be here. I’m not locked out. I’m not about to die or anything like that. I just want to spend my time with you and I want to get to know you better and basically I really do just want to come over here whenever you’re home because I like it. No excuses this time, or any other time.”

She took a deep breath and steeled herself for the next words. “And if we’re being totally honest here to make up for the fact that I was an idiot and lied, I’d really, really actually like to take you out on a date, and so yeah.” She brandished the flower and wine. “That’s sort of what these are for. But like, if you don’t want that, it’s cool, we can just be fri--”

Beca’s words were muffled by a pair of plump lips on her own. It took her a full second to realize what the fuck was actually happening. Mina was kissing her. Actually kissing her. And holy fuck the woman had the lips of an angel. Beca kissed her back easily, stumbling a little backwards because her knees decided that they didn’t want to hold her up anymore.

Mina came with her, supporting her, making sure she didn’t fall. Beca wanted nothing more than to drop what was in her hands and wrap her arms around Mina’s neck, because this was more perfect than she ever imagined, but she really wanted to not be a total idiot and drop the wine that she had gotten to share with the wonderful woman kissing her. And the fact that if she didn’t drop the wine meant she wouldn’t have to pay for the carpet cleaning for the wine stain, that was secondary, but still in there.

They pulled apart a second later, finding themselves in the middle of the hallway a bit breathless. Beca looked up at Mina, feeling like the woman was the center of her universe at that moment.

“I would very, very much like that date, little mouse.” Mina bent down and kissed her lightly once before drawing back again.

Beca had to keep herself from shouting ‘yes!’ and jumping up and down like an idiot. She felt on top of the world. She didn’t know how anyone wouldn’t feel that way when such a beautiful woman had agreed to go out with them.

“Oh thank god,” was what she said instead.

Mina laughed. “Not exactly what I had in mind for the first time I made you say those words, but it will do.” She winked and stepped back. “Friday for the date?”

Beca nodded. “Yeah, that sounds great.” She’d have to pull something together fast, but she thought she’d be highly motivated.

“Good. But until then, let’s go enjoy the wine you bought us. And then sleep because I admit, I didn’t sleep last night after you left and I think I’ll sleep very, very soundly with you at my side.”

Beca’s heart fluttered in her chest. Yeah, that sounded just right.

Mina turned around to go back into her apartment to be faced with a closed door. She started to pat her pockets and cursed quietly in German a second later. Beca started to laugh, long and loud.

“Let me guess, now you’re the one who’s locked out?”

Mina turned to her, glare firmly affixed onto her face, but Beca saw that it had no real fire to it. “Yes, I suppose I am.”

“Well then, good thing I have my keys, isn’t it?”

“Yes, it is.”

Beca walked to her door and unlocked it. “I’m not exactly sure I have a corkscrew though. I guess we’ll figure it out.”

Mina looked at her and walked through Beca’s front door and into her apartment, looking around and taking everything in. “Yes, I think we will.”

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Translations:  
> Du hast besser einen guten Grund mich um drei Uhr morgens aufzuwecken-You better have a good reason to wake me at 3 in the morning  
> Was ist es?-What is it?  
> Was ist das?-What is that?


End file.
